Senegal Detains 27-Year-Old Activist After TikTok Video Criticizes Israeli Team

Amadou Sarang Diallo, 27, was arrested on Friday by police in Senegal after posting a video on TikTok. The activist criticized the government’s decision to host Israeli athletes at the Youth Olympic Games, which are currently underway in the country. The detentions occurred approximately 88 kilometers outside the capital city of Dakar.

The three-week event began on October 31 and will run through November 13. It marks the first Olympic competition of any type held on the African continent. Nearly 2,700 athletes from around the world are participating. Eleven Israeli competitors are in the games, competing in eight sports including boxing, athletics, judo, artistic gymnastics, fencing, and archery. Reports indicate that the Israeli team faced boos during the opening parade.

Amidou Sidibe, coordinator of the civil society group Club Intermediaire, stated that Diallo was misunderstood. Sidibe explained that Diallo said on the video that Israeli citizens would "never get peace in Senegal." Sidibe noted that in the Wolof language, the phrase does not imply danger, but authorities viewed it as a call for violence. He added that police searched Diallo’s house but "found nothing dangerous."

The National Alliance for the Palestinian Cause released a statement on November 2 expressing deep concern over the arrest. The group affirmed its respect for the laws of the Republic but recalled that freedom of expression is a fundamental right in any democratic society. The alliance argued that peaceful expression of political conviction cannot justify deprivation of liberty.

Seydi Gassama, executive director of Amnesty International Senegal, joined the calls for Diallo’s release on Monday. Gassama wrote on X that Diallo is not violent and has participated in several peaceful actions denouncing the genocide in Gaza. These actions took place at Abdoulaye Wade Stadium during national team matches.

Local activists described the arrest as a betrayal of Senegal’s historic pro-Palestine position. Dakar joined the Hague Group in 2025, a coalition established to coordinate legal and diplomatic measures to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law. Since October 2023, pro-Palestine protests have occurred repeatedly in Senegal. In February, artists and cultural workers wrote to the government urging it to cut ties with Israel. In May 2025, Israeli ambassador Yuval Waks was forced to leave Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar after students protested his involvement in a local conference.

The games continue with athletes from 200 nations competing through mid-November. Diallo remains in custody as organizers prepare for the next phase of the Olympic program.