Robert Bourgi leaves the lurching ship (by Cheikh Yérim Seck)

Dakaractu.com- It is like the scenario of a Camorra movie. However, even in mafia there is an honor code to respect. Hearing Robert Bourgui on a local radio  pouring out the contents of a private communication that he had with the son of Senegalese head of the state, Karim Wade creates a real unease. All the more so since this lobbying with a hurt shared between France and Africa, has always behaved and introduced himself as a friend of Wade’s family. His personal story and that of the Wades have for many times crossed; as their two families. Rasseck Bourgui, the younger brother of Robert, has made his internship in Me Abdoulaye Wade’ office at Thiong Avenue. Today, based in Paris, the president treats him as his own son. In a recent past, Robert showed affection towards Wade’s family.   He is the author of Karim Wade’s introduction to France influential circles.  It is again him, by the intermediary of the former assistant manager of the presidency, who became the interior minister, Claude Guéant, who takes charge of Karim’s entries to the Elysée. It is still him, the handshake between Barack Obama and Karim Wade in Deauville, with Nicholas Sarkozy as the mediator.  Less than a month ago, when he had to meet the former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck, in a Parisian café, he called the president’s son before and after the meeting. The contents of their exchanges were found in one of the Dakar newspaper’s columns. If we take the exuded information into consideration, one can even bet that karim’ surroundings were responsible.  Robert Bourgui lived then for Wade’s family. It is with hazard that Karim who names him “tonton” “uncle”, has the freedom to call him at 2h40 am, from Paris. So what has changed? What makes that Robert Bourgui has successively briefed a journalist from the “ l’ Express” about this call and give more details about it after the denial of Karim,  and ends by affirming that his “nephew” lied and he in fact, asked him to intercede with the French army on behalf of Karim to suppress the 27 June demonstration in Dakar?

  So, things have changed since this June 23^rd when a popular uprising has compelled Abdoulaye Wade to withdraw his constitutional review project. Being crafty about African political secrets, Robert Bourgui has understood that, from that day, Wade has started to lose the power. Characterized by his long flirt with Wade father and son, he is seeking to disembark from the lurched ship by carefully rapping out that Idrissa Seck, Macky Sall and Ousmane Tanor Dieng are all his friends.  We never know, one have to prepare his future. Any argument of the France-Africa political river’s crocodile will justify such a brutal change. During karim’s time of glory, he has undergone everything without ever raising an act of breaking off. When Karine, Karim’s wife deceased, Robert Bourgui called him in order to hand him Idrisa Seck who wanted to present his condolences. However, despite his “uncle” insistence, Karim wade refused to take the former prime minister. What a humiliation!

The act of breaking of July 6^th, by a cruel pouring out, takes place in a highly unfavorable context for the presidential family. Weakened by the interior context, the Wades are more and more isolated from the international scene. The day before Robert Bourgui’s exit, the French diplomacy chief, Alain Jupé, invites him to apply the diplomacy lesson he gave to Khadafy in Benghazi. What a reward, for the only African president who went to Benghazi escorted by two French military planes to deliver a western’s message.

In the hurt of France-Africa secrets, Robert Bourgui knows that the withdrawal constitutional change project of June 23 rd has lined up French diplomacy to the hard line of America: Wade must finish his mandate in 2012 and leave power with his son. The end is then imminent and all ends of a reign give place to this pathetic spectacle of passengers who leave the lurching ship to avoid shipwreck. Jacques Chirac teaches us in his Memoir that there is nothing more harder for a political man the moment when the power leaves him with it, all his fans, sycophants, and other  occasional friends  worrying about their future. This is all about power’s friendship: they do not survive out of gold, pallening, shining of palaces.
Who on the coming Senegalese presidents will trust Robert Bourgui? Even in mafia, one never lets down a threatened”brother”. One wins or die with him as the honor code wants it.