Protesters in Senegal accuse police of using armed civilians to quell unrest

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “As I watched him on the way there, I realized it was over.” His friend, Khadim Ba, was one of at least 23 people killed earlier this month in Senegal during the country's deadliest clashes between police and protesters in decades, according to Amnesty International. Government spokesman Abdou Karim Fofana said some young Senegalese people organized themselves into neighborhood watch committees to “defend their physical integrity and protect their property.” The scene outside the party headquarters was the ruling party’s private security service, which was deployed to protect the premises, Fofana said. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Seif Magango said this week that the decision by the country's security forces to use live bullet rounds “sets a negative precedent for Senegal.” Conflict analysts warn that mobilizing and arming civilians to reinforce the ranks of police is an even more dangerous strategy. Sall has called for an investigation into those responsible for this month's demonstrations and praised the “remarkable professionalism” of the security forces in controling the violence, government spokesman Fofana said in a statement.