Think Forward.

Sénégal- Le Conseil constitutionnel en train de valider la commande du régime, rejette la candidature de l’opposant Ousmane Sonko 3367

Boursine Mbaye, 2 y.

- Politics -

2.8 min read.

Le Conseil constitutionnel rejette la candidature de l’opposant Ousmane Sonko Consacrant la commande du régime en place, le Conseil constitutionnel, sous la présidence du magistrat Badio Camara, vient de rejeter, vendredi 05 janvier 2024, la candidature de l’opposant Ousmane Sonko à l’élection présidentielle du Sénégal, prévue le 25 février 2024. Daouda MBaye, Journaliste En décidant de rejeter la candidature de l’opposant Ousmane Sonko, de la coalition Président Sonko 2024, ce vendredi 05 février 2024, pour le motif de dossier incomplet, le Conseil constitutionnel (CC) jette un pavé dans la mare ! Rappelons que ce candidat, président du parti PASTEF (Parti des africains du Sénégal pour le travail, l’éthique et la fraternité dissout depuis juin 2023), actuellement en détention à la prison du Cap Manuel, est victime d’un acharnement qui dure depuis bientôt 4 ans. Son seul tort est de proposer des solutions, basées sur la lutte contre la corruption et la concussion, l’industrialisation du pays et un développement inclusif, qui pourraient sortir le Sénégal de son statut de PMA et de PPTE. Accusé de viols répétés, avec menaces de mort sur la masseuse Adji Sarr, il fut finalement condamné par contumace pour corruption de la jeunesse, un délit qui n’a pas été enrôlé au début du procès. Ousmane Sonko ne s’était pas présenté au tribunal parce que plus d’une fois, le pouvoir en place a joué la provocation, lui imposant un itinéraire, gazant son cortège, allant jusqu’à briser la vitre de sa voiture sur lui… pour le conduire de force au tribunal ou l’extirper de son véhicule pour le ramener chez lui. Un peuple, resté sourd aux appels des lanceurs d’alerte Dans un autre procès pour diffamation, intenté contre lui par Mame Mbaye Kane Niang, actuel ministre du Tourisme, sur les fonds alloués au PRODAC (Programme de développement des domaines agricoles communautaires), sur un montant de 49 milliards f CFA (29 + 20 milliards f CFA), les procédures ont été accélérées pour avoir une condamnation définitive qui exclurait cet opposant de la compétition. Notons que tout ce cirque se déroule, en dépit d’un rapport existant du Commissaire aux Comptes du Cabinet Alliance Audit & Conseils (voir visuel ci-dessous) et la parution en 2019 du livre du Coordonnateur de la Société civile, Brahim Seck, « Lettre au peuple : PRODAC, un festin de 36 milliards f CFA ». A valeur d’aujourd’hui, les résultats des DAC sont loin des objectifs de départ (30 000 emplois jeunes générés, regain de la production agroalimentaire…). D’ailleurs, au Sénégal, on parle maintenant de cœurs de DAC, dont certains restent chimériques et le Sénégal importe des légumes du Maroc, notamment l’oignon, du poisson et que les pénuries de riz, de gaz s’annoncent… La loi du plus fort Malheureusement, tour à tour, tous les pièges que le pouvoir finissant du président Macky Sall avait mis en place, se sont effondrés un à un. D’abord, la contumace a été anéantie, lorsqu’il a été appréhendé de force de chez lui, après un blocus de 55 jours de sa villa au quartier Cité Keur Gorgui à Dakar, pour vol de téléphone portable, après qu’un agent en civil le filmait sans son consentement… Après deux grèves de la faim, il a finalement été placé dans une geôle au Cap Manuel à Dakar. Ensuite, la condamnation à 6 mois de prison avec sursis et 200 millions f CFA de dommages et intérêts, après l’appel du plaignant qui pourtant s’était empressé, à la fin de la première manche, de se satisfaire de ce premier verdict, clamant un honneur sauf, ne le rendait pas inéligible- l’Article L29 du Code électoral est explicite : ne sont exclus que les condamnés pour le cas d’espèces à une peine supérieure à 6 mois !!! Il fallait se rabattre sur une administration aux ordres, notamment la DGE (Direction générale des élections) pour lui refuser ses fiches de parrainage, la CENA (Commission électorale nationale autonome dont la composition a été modifiée récemment après que l’ex-président Doudou Ndir ait fait injonction à la DGE pour la remise de ces fiches, la CDC (Caisse de dépôts et consignations) qui a refusé de lui remettre l’attestation de dépôt de la caution même si le quitus était entre les mains de son mandataire l’honorable député Ayib Daffé, et un Conseil constitutionnel, dont les membres sont nommés par le président de la république. L’équipe de la Coalition Sonko Président prit soin de faire constater ces refus respectifs par huissier. Aujourd’hui, le CC a refusé de compulser le dossier d’Ousmane Sonko qui avait opté pour le parrainage des parlementaires (au nombre de 13), pour le motif de dossier incomplet (il faut 9 pièces) … Me Ciré Clédor Ly, son mandataire, a évoqué une farce électorale en gestation, d’autant plus que la commission électorale, qui comprend, selon la loi, le mandataire, s’est tenue en son absence… De façon rédhibitoire, le président du CC lui a signifié que cette candidature est incomplète… Le pool d'avocats, qui défend l'opposant Ousmane Sonko, a d'ores et déjà introduit un rabat d'arrêt et annonce que son client est plus éligible que jamais.

Boursine Mbaye

Sénégalais, âgé de 61 ans, Daouda MBaye est Journaliste, spécialisé dans la Presse écrite, notamment sur les questions économiques et financières. Il a derrière lui une expérience de plus de 20 ans dans ce métier pour lequel il a été tour à tour Chef de rubriques puis Rédacteur en chef de plusieurs supports marocains ou internationaux.

Will AI coding replace me as a Software Engineer in Germany? 232

Fares Aouani, 12 h.

- Technology -

1.7 min read.

Will AI coding replace me as a Software Engineer in Germany? Today, my coworker showed me a Golf-Assistant app his friend built using claude code. It is fully functional, includes GPS tracking and a payment system, and it took him a couple of weekends to finish. It would take a Senior Software Engineer a couple of months to finish this, not using AI. Then he said "one day, we won't need us anymore" Will this really be the case though? Most companies use openai and anthropic as their LLM providers, and seeing the goofy mistake of anthropic not hiding sourcemap files while releasing a new version doesn't help with trust. For german companies, this is a gigantic no. Here someone has to be responsible. Someone has to pay the price in case of a problem, and the price is often high and heavy. Take H&M Hennes & Mauritz Online Shop as an example: managers illegally collected data on the private lives of their employees, this resulted in a 35.3 Million Euro fine, or Vodafone being fined a total of 45 Million Euros for two major breaches: 1-failing to oversee third party sales agencies, leading to fraud and 2- fro security flaw in their MeinVodafone Portal which allowed unauthorized access to customer eSim Profile. And these are man made errors ! What about potential AI-made errors? Most companies use chatgpt or claude as their LLM provider. So what if the AI Model made an error? Who would be responsible in the eyes of the law? Certainly not OpenAI or Anthropic Would the company itself be responsible for not having a good enough prompt to cover every single area of mistake the AI could make? What would be the extent of such a mistake? Would the company haft for not having another AI to double check what the initial AI did? If so, this would have to be an agentic system that react intelligently. How would such an agentic system look like and how much would it cost? And if the system becomes that big, how would you have it certified? tested? Could it scale easily? Does that have limits? In order for companies (still talking about Germany) to replace us with AI and 1- be completely covered in the eyes of the law and 2- follow the german standard of quality, this would roughly mean that: 1- The life cycle of the Data is 100% trackable and securely managed 2- AI doesn't make a single fatal mistake 3- There is a clear process that companies can follow to build a By-AI-Managed company and scale it afterwards 4- All of the previous questions (and many many more) are not only answered, but have specific and very detailed law texts. How long would this last? For a law to be passed nowadays it must go through a process that takes in average 1 to 2 years. Furtheremore, discussing before even proposing ONE new law text takes at least a couple of months. So would AI replace me as a software engineer in Germany? Curious to hear about how it is in your country?

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Morocco and the Trust Economy: The Invisible Capital of Development... 780

Aziz Daouda, 3 d.

- Politics - Society - Business -

2.9 min read.

In the economic history of nations, some assets are visible, such as natural resources, geographical position, infrastructure, or market size. Others, however, are invisible but often decisive. Among them, trust holds a central place and constitutes the true cement of sustainable economies. An economy can survive with few natural resources, but it cannot prosper sustainably without trust. Morocco today has many assets: remarkable political stability, a strategic position, world-class infrastructure, and active economic diplomacy. Yet, the decisive step in development now consists of building a true trust economy, capable of sustainably reassuring citizens, entrepreneurs, and investors. This is not a slogan. Trust is an institutional and cultural architecture that is built over time. It is the primary capital of a modern economy and a determining factor. It reduces transaction costs, encourages investment, facilitates innovation, and stimulates individual initiative. When an entrepreneur knows that the rules of the game are stable, that contracts will be respected, and that justice is swift and independent, he invests more easily. When a citizen trusts the tax administration and institutions, he more willingly accepts taxes and participates in the formal economy. Conversely, a lack of trust generates precautionary behaviors: capital flight, informality, low long-term investment. The economy then becomes cautious, fragmented, and inefficient. For Morocco, the central question is therefore not only to attract investments, but to create an environment where trust becomes a collective reflex. It would be unfair not to recognize the considerable progress made over the past decades. The foundations are solid. The country has massively invested in infrastructure: Tanger Med is today one of the world's most important logistics hubs. Nador and Dakhla are coming soon. Industrial zones have enabled the emergence of high-performing sectors, in the automotive industry with Renault Group and Stellantis, and in aeronautics with Boeing, Airbus, and Safran. The country's ambition in energy transition is exemplary. This shows that it is capable of carrying out structuring projects and offering a stable macroeconomic environment. However, the next step in development requires a qualitative leap: moving from an opportunity economy to a trust economy with a determining role for the rule of law. Trust first rests on the solidity of institutions. For investors as for entrepreneurs, the predictability of rules is a decisive element. Laws must be stable, readable, and applied equally, with three particularly crucial dimensions: **The independence and efficiency of justice** A swift, accessible, and credible justice system is the keystone of any trust economy. Commercial disputes must be resolved within reasonable timeframes. Judicial decisions must be enforced without ambiguity. Legal security is often the primary factor of attractiveness. **Fiscal stability** Investors do not necessarily expect very low tax rates; they primarily seek stability and readability. Predictable taxation allows companies to plan investments over the long term. Morocco has already undertaken several major tax reforms, but the challenge now is to go further and consolidate a clear and durable fiscal pact. **The fight against rents and privileges** Trust disappears when the rules of the game seem unequal. A dynamic economy relies on fair competition and equal opportunities. Transparency in public markets, competition regulation, and limiting rent situations are essential levers. A trust economy is also an economy of freedom, capable of unleashing entrepreneurial energy. The freedom to enterprise, innovate, and experiment is one of the fundamental engines of growth. Morocco has a talented youth, competent engineers, and an influential diaspora. However, several obstacles remain: administrative complexity, access to financing for SMEs, slowness of certain procedures. The challenge is to create an environment where individual initiative becomes the norm rather than the exception. Moroccan startups in fintech, artificial intelligence, or agricultural technologies already demonstrate the country's potential. With a more fluid ecosystem, they could become tomorrow's economic champions. In a world marked by geopolitical uncertainty and economic recompositions, trust also becomes a comparative advantage. If Morocco manages to position itself as a country where rules are stable, justice reliable, and administration predictable, it could become one of the main investment platforms between Europe and Africa. This ambition aligns with the Kingdom's African strategies and its growing international openness. Trust could thus become Morocco's true economic hallmark. Several strategic orientations deserve to be prioritized: - Accelerate the modernization of the judicial system, particularly in handling commercial disputes and enforcing judicial decisions. - Radically simplify administrative procedures for businesses through complete digitalization of public services. - Establish multi-year fiscal stability to enhance visibility. - Promote transparency and fair competition in all economic sectors. - Strengthen training and valorization of human capital, particularly in technological and scientific fields. - Develop a culture of trust between the State, businesses, and citizens. This dimension is often overlooked, yet it constitutes the invisible foundation of development. Morocco finds itself today at a pivotal moment in its economic history. The infrastructure is in place, strategic ambitions are affirmed, and the international environment offers new opportunities. The next step therefore consists of building a sustainable trust ecosystem. If Morocco succeeds in this gamble, and it must, it could not only accelerate its development but also become one of the most credible and attractive economies in the emerging world. In the 21st-century global economy, trust is undoubtedly the rarest and most powerful capital.