In Dakar, a photo exhibition traces a people’s fight for justice
At the Museum of Black Civilizations, "First Line" by Abdou Karim Ndoye documents the powerful protests that marked Senegal from 2021 to 2024.
Tear gas, barricades, shouts, and wounded faces. At the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, the First Line exhibition brings to life the intensity of recent events in Senegal.
Photographed by Abdou Karim Ndoye, the exhibit retraces the major protests of 2021, 2023, and 2024 that challenged President Macky Sall’s regime and led to the rise of Bassirou Diomaye Faye in April 2024.
Some of the most striking images show injured protesters, hooded youth building barricades, and streets turned into battlegrounds.
The exhibition also helps members of the diaspora and younger generations understand this pivotal chapter of Senegalese history.
One of Ndoye’s favorite shots was taken in Ziguinchor: a group of young activists sitting on bags, guarding opposition leader Ousmane Sonko’s home. “An iconic image,” he says. “They were ready to die for a cause.”
Now the official photographer for President Faye, Ndoye sees the exhibition as a tool for remembrance. A blank wall awaits the names of victims.
First Line runs until October 31 in Dakar.
