Dakar merchant referred to prosecutor over TikTok post

A merchant in Dakar, identified by the initials Serigne MF and describing himself as a Pastef militant, has been referred to the prosecutor's office following the distribution of a photomontage on TikTok. The content targeted the parents of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and was accompanied by highly offensive commentary.

The individual faces charges including public insult, offense to the Head of State, and the illegal collection and processing of personal data. While the merchant admitted to sharing the content on his TikTok account, he claimed he had simply downloaded the image and text from Facebook. Investigators, however, have not identified any other source for the image besides the merchant.

This incident follows previous legal actions involving content directed at the President, such as the March 2026 interrogation of journalist Daouda Waly regarding a caricature. The judicial system is now tasked with determining legal responsibilities regarding the publication.