Singer challenges African President

Youssou N'Dour. Photo / Supplied

Youssou N'Dour, the Senegalese musician once described by Rolling Stone magazine as the most famous living African singer, has taken his first steps into politics, prompting speculation that he may run for President in his homeland.

An outspoken anti-poverty campaigner, N'Dour is best known internationally for 7 Seconds, his duet with Neneh Cherry.

His move to launch a political platform with Senegal's leading opposition figure marks a head-on challenge to President Abdoulaye Wade, 83, who is accused of grooming his son to succeed him.

N'Dour, who was born in the slums of Dakar 50 years ago, denies he plans to run for President, saying only "the people will decide" and adding "from now on I will no longer be neutral".

Launching his partnership with opposition politician Mansour Sy Djamil, he said the alliance's first objective would be public information:

"People do not know the constitution well enough. They need to understand that power has its limits. There should be no tinkering with the fundamental law of the land."

The singer is adored in the former French colony, which he has never left despite a string of gold albums in Europe and the United States.

By staying at home, he has created a Senegalese recording industry with world-class studios, launched a micro-finance institution and is in the process of starting a bank.

Wade, who is only Senegal's third President, came to power in a widely praised election in 2000 after battling in opposition for 16 years. But since he began his second term in 2007 he has faced growing accusations of nepotism, corruption and abuse of civil liberties.

He was criticised last year for giving an alleged £130,000 ($273,000) "farewell present" to a departing official of the International Monetary Fund.

After commissioning a £17 million ($36 million) bronze statue known as the African Renaissance Monument, which depicts a man, woman and child emerging from a volcano, Wade demanded 35 per cent of all the profits it generates from tourism.

The opposition coalition, Benno Siggil Senegal, swept the board last year in local elections in which Wade had hoped his son, Karim, would become mayor of Dakar.

Following his son's defeat, the President created a super-ministry for him instead, granting Karim one of the longest titles in political history: Minister of International Co-operation, National Planning, Air Transport, Ports, Roadworks and Infrastructure. Analysts say this is part of a plan to create a "Wade dynasty" before the 2012 presidential election.

N'Dour, who last month released his latest album, Dakar-Kingston, a reggae collaboration with Bob Marley's surviving Wailers, admits he used to be close to Wade.

"He called me his son," N'Dour told Jeune Afrique magazine last month. "But there has been a parting of the ways between us."

N'Dour owns a media group that has been trying for nearly five years to launch a television station. "My group, Futurs Medias, initially had the President's blessing and were allocated a frequency.

"But for more than six months now the Ministry of Communication has been dragging its feet and my 100 staff can't get to work," he said.

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