Senegal arrests activist for protesting against Israeli participation at Youth Olympic Games - Middle East Eye
Senegalese civil society groups are calling for the release of a pro-Palestine activist after he criticised the government for hosting Israeli athletes at the Youth Olympic Games currently taking place in the West African nation.
Amadou Sarang Diallo, 27, was arrested on Friday after he posted a video on TikTok condemning Israel's participation in the games, activists told Middle East Eye. The Youth Olympic Games began on 31 October and are expected to run until 13 November, and involve nearly 2,700 athletes from around the world.
It is the first Olympic event of any type to take place on the African continent.
Eleven Israeli athletes are participating in eight sports, including boxing, athletics, judo, artistic gymnastics, fencing, and archery.
According to reports, the Israeli athletes were met with boos at the games' opening parade.
According to Amidou Sidibe, the coordinator of the civil society group Club Intermediaire, Diallo was arrested about 88km outside the capital, Dakar. Sidibe told MEE that Diallo had said on TikTok that Israeli citizens would "never get peace in Senegal" and this was misconstrued as a call for violence. "In [the] Wolof language it does not mean something dangerous," Sidibe said, adding that the police searched his house but "found nothing dangerous".
Likewise, in a statement released on 2 November, the National Alliance for the Palestinian Cause expressed "its deep concern" over his arrest.
"While reaffirming its commitment to respecting the laws and institutions of the Republic, the Alliance recalls that freedom of expression and opinion is a fundamental right in any democratic society," the group said, adding that the "peaceful expression of a political conviction or activist commitment cannot, in itself, justify deprivation of liberty". On Monday, Seydi Gassama, executive director of Amnesty International Senegal, joined calls for his release.
"Respect freedom of expression! Amadou Sarang Diallo is not violent. He has participated in several peaceful actions denouncing the genocide in Gaza, at Abdoulaye Wade Stadium during the national team's matches," Gassama wrote on X.
Senegalese activists said the arrest was a betrayal of Senegal's historic pro-Palestine position, which culminated in Dakar joining the Hague Group when it was formed in 2025.
The Hague Group was established to coordinate legal and diplomatic measures to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law.
Since the genocide began in October 2023, there have been several pro-Palestine protests in Senegal.
In February, a group made up of artists and cultural workers wrote to the government to urge it to cut ties with Israel over the genocide in Gaza, where over 74,500 Palestinians have been killed.
“In times of crisis, the greatness of nations is revealed. Africa, having endured slavery, colonialism, and apartheid, must reject injustice and oppression,” it said. In May 2025, Israel’s ambassador to Senegal, Yuval Waks, was forced to leave Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar after students protested against his involvement in a local conference on campus.
Students chanted “Free Palestine,” “Free Gaza” and “Israel is a war criminal" outside the venue where he was meant to deliver his remarks.
