Campaigning is over, now it’s up to the people.

In my unscientific opinion, Wade has certainly seen the lion’s share of campaign posters.

This week has seen lots of roads being blocked by burning tires. The police have responded to demonstrations by blocking roads into downtown.

“What we have is sufficient” says this sign. Just ask the man and his horse cart if he agrees, or if he might like to have the refrigerator seen in the ad just behind the Wade poster. This particular image of Wade is ubiquitous in Dakar. Between you and me, I think it is photoshopping at its finest. All of his age spots have been magically erased- he looks at least 30 years younger.

“Idy4Presi”

“This is the man who provides reassurance.” (And just to the right and below this massive tri-poster ad are the men who are paid to provide reassurance that these billboards won’t be defaced. No, really.)

I barely caught this shot while out in Thiaroye traffic. It’s another Wade poster, but someone has obviously defaced it and written “thief” across his head.

More shots of burning tires. The thing with stacks of burning tires is that 1) they don’t burn for that long and 2) they are easy to photograph if you’re aiming to make this place look like Hom, Syria.

I don’t have photos of all fourteen candidates- and truth be told, I’m not sure I’ve seen campaign posters from all fourteen of them.

And of course I have been photographing, listening to, and filming various marches and demonstrations taking place outside my house for the past couple of weeks.  “Gorgui Na Dem” (Old Man Go) has been a popular tune.

“I love my country.” Check out Senegal 2.0 here.

And we march…

Vestiges of an invalidated campaign.

The next leader of Senegal?


Some inveigh against external involvement, others decry our inaction.

Those burning tires overcompensating for a dimly lit city? This is what they look like the next day.

“Change is still taking place.” You might call Diouf, whose number seems to be scrawled on the wall just below this ad. That’s probably how he advertises to find work. Just a guess.

Senegalese aren’t violent, but they are vocal in standing up for what they believe in.

Senegalese are also great in that when they put their mind to something, they can achieve it- no matter how impossible the feat looks to an outsider.