Riots after sentencing of opposition leader in Senegal

A criminal court in Dakar has sentenced opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to two years in prison. He also has to pay a fine of the equivalent of 900,000 euros, as reported by the Seneweb news portal. Sonko was found guilty of inciting a young woman to engage in lewd behavior. The 48-year-old did not appear at the trial. The penalty jeopardizes his candidacy for Senegal’s presidential election next year.

Shortly after the court decision, outbreaks of violence by his supporters were reported from various parts of the capital Dakar. Groups of young people attacked public facilities, burned tires and put obstacles on the streets, reporters from the afp news agency reported. There were clashes with security forces. According to media reports, the road to the airport was blocked by demonstrators. Also, the new train that runs from the capital to the new town of Diamniadio stopped operating. According to reports in online media, unrest also broke out in other parts of the country.

Sonko denies all allegations

Sonko is considered one of the fiercest opponents of Senegalese President Macky Sall. The opposition politician was also charged with rape and death threats, but was acquitted of these charges by a court in Dakar. He was only convicted of “seducing youth” because the plaintiff, a beauty salon worker, was under 21 at the time of the events. Sonko denies all allegations and believes the judiciary’s actions to prevent his election to the presidency were politically motivated. The head of the beauty salon had also supported his statements in court, but was sentenced to a fine herself.

The unrest in Dakar was reported in the online networks. Satire Mbaye, a representative of the President’s party in Keur Massar on the outskirts of Dakar, said the party headquarters had been “vandalized”. “They smashed the windows and destroyed the material inside (at the headquarters),” she said.

Under house arrest since Sunday

The 48-year-old leader of the Pastef-les Patriotes party was supposed to be at home in Dakar at the time of the sentencing. There he has been guarded by a large police force since Sunday. He himself speaks of being “held captive”. Police forces had repelled attempts by lawyers or his supporters, some with violence, to approach the house. Justice Minister Ismaila Madior Fall announced after the court ruling that Sonko could now be arrested “at any time”. “The verdict must be implemented,” he told journalists.

In May, Sonko was sentenced to a six-month suspended prison sentence for defamation after he accused Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang of embezzlement on television last year. The allegations against Sonko have repeatedly led to protests in the country with 17 million inhabitants. At least 13 people were killed in clashes after his arrest in March 2021. So far, Senegal has been considered a stable multi-party democracy.

kle/mak (afp, epd, dpa)