Senegal Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions

of 9 Senegal (July 1995) Department of State Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions Report PARDS Report-Specific Source and Reliability Assessment

Senegal

Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions Report Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor U.S. Department of State Washington, D.C. 20520 July 1995

Political Asylum Research and Documentation Service (PARDS) Princeton, New Jersey 08542

Email: [email protected] (rev. 12-14-09) Web Site: www.pards.org

WARNING: By regulation, D.o.S. Profiles of Asylum Claims Reports are a part of the record, principal lens, but inherently flawed means by which adjudicators come to understand country conditions, standard by which to assess asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention against Torture claim plausibility and merit. This report contains internal inconsistencies, distortions, and omissions intended to undermine petitioner credibility, claim plausibility and merit. Underline all claim-relevant statements. Circle or highlight distortions. Compare and contrast claim content with this report noting themes omitted by D.o.S. Any uncorrected deviation between content of petitioner’s claim and testimony, and this report, provide a basis for claim denial. Internal inconsistencies, distortions, and omissions are correctable through: (1) a PARDS Report-Specific Source and Reliability Assessment, (2) internationally known/ respected country experts, and (3) claim-relevant documentation available from PARDS. Font size was increased for ease of review, paragraphs numbered and sentences identified by alphabetic super script for ease of reference, and report-specific outline attached. Page 2 of 9 Senegal (July 1995) Department of State Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions Report PARDS Report-Specific Source and Reliability Assessment

Introduction

[1] This is provided by the State Department’s Office of Asylum Affairs for use by the Executive Office of Immigration Review and the Immigration and Naturalization Service in assessing asylum claims.a By regulation, the Department of State may provide information on country conditions to help adjudicators assess the accuracy of asylum applicants’ assertions about country conditions and their own experiences;b likely treatment were the applicants to return;c whether persons similarly situated are known to be persecuted;d whether grounds for denial are known to exist;e and other information relevant to determining the status of a refugee under the grounds specified in Section 101(a)(42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. f

[2] Country conditions profiles are produced by the Office of Asylum Affairs under the supervision of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), formerly the Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs.a They are written by experienced Foreign Service Officers with expertise and service in the relevant area and are circulated for comment within the Department, including to overseas missions, and with other agencies if appropriate.b They are based on a review of asylum applications, reports from US missions abroad and other information available to the Department of State.c Other relevant information published by the Department, incorporated herewith by reference, includes the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and the annual World Refugee Reports.d Country Reports are designed to report annually on the status of internationally recognized human rights;e these profiles, which are updated regularly, provide additional information and current information relevant to the specific standards set forth in the INA. f

Overview of Recent Developments

Claims and Relevant Country Conditions

Claims on Account of Political Opinion

[3] Seventy-five persons were charged with threatening state security after serious riots in Dakar which took place on February 16, 1994.a The riots, which resulted in the deaths of eight persons, six of them policemen, came on the heels of a meeting called by the `Coordination of Democratic Forces, (CDF),’ an umbrella group of opposition parties.b Those arrested included General of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and recent presidential candidate (he won 32% of the vote), who was out on bail from the earlier charge of complicity in the assassination of Babacar Seye. c

[4] Many local human rights groups and the political opposition questioned the validity and legality of the grounds of arrest and called for the release of the opposition leaders.a As many as 150 persons were held at one point on suspicion of threatening state security and inciting public disorder in the wake of the February 16 riots.b By early April, 1994, there had been at least two demonstrations by university students in support of the jailed opposition leaders.c On July 4, 1994 Mr. Wade and five of his colleagues were released on parole, and they were subsequently acquitted on August 30.d This means that for the first time in over a year, PDS Secretary General Wade has no criminal charges pending against him.e As of mid-September other leaders of the opposition accepted the prime minister’s invitation to join the government in a new and enlarged government of reconciliation. f

[5] The few Senegalese asylum claims we have seen recently tend to be either from someone claiming a generalized opposition to President Diouf or membership in an opposition political party.a However, there are 20 legal political parties, and candidates from six of them won seats in the legislative elections referred to above.b Although individual opposition leaders may be arrested for specific violations of the law from time to time, mere membership in one of the opposition parties would not, in our view, create problems for that reason alone. c

Claims on Account of Religion

[6] Some recent claims have been from Senegalese Christians claiming discrimination from Muslims.a With regards to such religious claims, freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution, and Senegal, whose population is 90% Muslim, has an excellent record not only of accepting the practices of non-Muslim religious but of actively cooperating with the various Christian Churches.b Christian missionaries, including Catholics, evangelicals, Methodists, several Baptist sects, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, are active throughout the country. c

[7] Marriage between Muslims and Christians is common at all social levels.a The President, Prime Minister, and the former Minister of State, who are Muslims, all have Christian spouses.b The Pope’s visit to Senegal in 1990 was an important occasion for the entire country, and thousands of Muslims as well as Christians turned out to welcome him. c

Claims on Account of MFDC Membership

[8] A third group of claims has come from some Senegalese who fear violence in the Casamance or who are supportive of, or actively participating in, the Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MFDC).a The July, 1993 peace accord, however, along with the release of large numbers of MFDC partisans referred to above, tends to indicate that the fears of retaliation expressed by members of this group might well have been overtaken by events.b Under these new circumstances, mere support of the MFDC would not now single someone out for particular attention or abuse upon returning – unless actual criminal charges are pending against them for specific crimes. c

[9] In early 1995, however, there were troubling signs that the July 1993 peace accord between the rebel separatist movement and the government may be unraveling.a Attacks on government troops by MFDC rebels in January touched off retaliatory strikes by the Senegalese army in February and counter-attacks by the rebels in early March. b

The views expressed in this report are those of the U.S. Department of State, and its authors, not PARDS. A copy of this report is provided as a courtesy to our clients: immigration attorneys, current applicants, and those contemplating filing for political asylum in the United States. Readers are encouraged to obtain a copy of the PARDS critique of the Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, International Religious Freedom Report, Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions Report, or Issue Paper series from our web page: http://www.pards.org/profilecrtitique.doc. We welcome your questions, comments and requests.

NOTE: The text of this report was drawn from the Department of State’s original version, font enlarged for ease of review and the paragraphs numbered for ease of reference. Those Department of State reports for which a comprehensive source and statement-by-statement PARDS Critique and Reliability Assessment have been prepared contain an alphabetic superscript at the end of each sentence. To order a report-specific PARDS Critique and Reliability Assessment, email your request to [email protected] or call us at 1(609) 497 – 7663.

Internal File: Senegal (July 1995) Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions Report PARDS Report-Specific Source and Reliability Assessment

PARDS Report-Specific Source and Report Reliability Assessment

To order a comprehensive Report-Specific Source and Reliability Assessment of the D.o.S. Senegal Country Report on Human Rights Practices (1970s – Present), International Religious Freedom Report (2000 – Present), latest Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions Report, benefit from the assistance of an internationally known and respected, country-specific expert, or obtain claim-relevant documentation call PARDS 1 (609) 497 - 7663.

Introduction

Paragraph 1 a. b. c. d. e. f.

Overview of Recent Developments

Claims and Relevant Country Conditions

Claims on Account of Political Opinion

Paragraph 3 a. b. c.

Claims on Account of Religion

Claims on Account of MFDC Membership

Paragraph 9 a. b.

Internal File: Senegal (July 1995) Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions Report PARDS Report-Specific Source and Reliability Assessment

WARNING: By regulation, D.o.S. Profiles of Asylum Claims Reports are a part of the record, principal lens, but inherently flawed means by which adjudicators come to understand country conditions, standard by which to assess asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention against Torture claim plausibility and merit. This report contains internal inconsistencies, distortions, and omissions intended to undermine petitioner credibility, claim plausibility and merit. Underline all claim-relevant statements. Circle or highlight distortions. Compare and contrast claim content with this report noting themes omitted by D.o.S. Any uncorrected deviation between content of petitioner’s claim and testimony, and this report, provide a basis for claim denial. Internal inconsistencies, distortions, and omissions are correctable through: (1) a PARDS Report-Specific Source and Reliability Assessment, (2) internationally known/ respected country experts, and (3) claim-relevant documentation available from PARDS. Font size was increased for ease of review, paragraphs numbered and sentences identified by alphabetic super script for ease of reference, and report-specific outline attached.