Hundreds march in Senegal in support of Palestine

By Fatma Esma Arslan Ozdel

DAKAR, Senegal (AA) - A demonstration in support of Palestine was held Sunday in Senegal’s capital, Dakar.

Hundreds of people gathered on Malick Sy Avenue and marched to the Monument du Millénaire as part of the protest organized by the African Mediation, Governance and Conflict Resolution Organization and the Palestinian Embassy in Dakar.

Türkiye's Ambassador to Senegal Nur Sagman, Palestine's Ambassador Nasser Jadallah and Pakistan's Ambassador Saime Sayed as well as the envoys of Lebanon, Cuba and Libya took part in the demonstration.

The ambassadors walked arm in arm, leading the procession and chanting slogans with the demonstrators.

Speaking to Anadolu, Jadallah said "there are significant and fundamental changes happening worldwide regarding the Palestinian issue."

"I believe that African countries will also strengthen their stance on the Palestinian issue over time," he said.

Sagman said "the Palestinian ambassador kept me by his side, and we walked arm in arm."

"The Senegalese people always talk about what Türkiye has done for Palestine. There is great gratitude and admiration for Türkiye in this regard," she added.

Sayed stressed that the people and government of Pakistan have been in solidarity with Gaza from the very beginning and will continue to support the Palestinian cause until the end.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then, the vast majority being women and children, and over 80,600 others injured following an attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas.

Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than a million displaced Palestinians had sought refuge.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz