The memory of a historic figure of the Senegalese left August 23, 2026
Died on August 23, 2019 at the age of 82, the memory of Amath Dansokho remains alive in the Senegalese political landscape. An emblematic figure of the left, PAI activist since 1957 and founder of the PIT, he marked the political history of the country through his commitment, his convictions and his outspokenness.
Born in 1937 in Kédougou, Amath Dansokho marked Senegalese political life for several decades through his commitment to the left and his positions in favor of social justice. An activist from the start, in 1957 he joined the African Independence Party (PAI), then engaged in the anti-colonialist struggle and for the independence of Senegal.
In 1981, he participated in the founding of the Independence and Labor Party (PIT), of which he became one of the main figures. Through this party, he established himself as one of the historic faces of the Senegalese left, consistently defending his political convictions for decades.
His career also took him to the government and the National Assembly. Amath Dansokho was minister, deputy and mayor of Kédougou, his hometown, thus combining national and local political responsibilities.
A personality known for his outspokenness and his convictions, he has gone through the different periods of Senegalese political life without renouncing his commitments. His itinerary remains associated with the history of the left and the political struggles which accompanied the democratic evolution of the country.
Amath Dansokho passed away on August 23, 2019, at the age of 82. After a life dedicated to politics and activism, he rests in the Thiaka Ndiaye cemetery in Saint-Louis.
The Kédougou hospital bears his name. Indeed, in 2021, during the traditional Council of Ministers, Head of State Macky Sall decided to rename the level 2 public health establishment “AmathDansOKHO Regional Hospital Center of Kédougou”. A duty of memory to the native of the Region, and founder of the Independence and Work Party
Arame NDIAYE
