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Senegal opposition leader in custody on insurrection charges

July 31, 2023

A fierce critic of President Macky Sall, Ousmane Sonko was charged with fomenting insurrection, and his party was dissolved. There are fears that it could spark new waves of unrest throughout the West African nation.

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Ousmane Sonko, who was arrested over the weekend and accused of calling an insurrection against the state
Ousmane Sonko placed third in presidential elections in 2019 and is popular among Senegal's youthImage: Fatma Esma Arslan/AA/picture alliance

Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was charged with plotting insurrection, criminal conspiracy and other offenses, his lawyers said on Monday.

Sonko was arrested on Friday following a scuffle with security forces outside his home. 

Prosecutors said the charges stemmed from comments he has made, rallies he has held and other incidents since 2021, including the scuffle at his home on Friday that preceded his arrest.

On Monday, Sonko, a fierce critic of President Macky Sall, continued a hunger strike he had begun a day earlier. 

Senegal's interior minister said Sonko's Pastef party had been dissolved for having "frequently" called for insurrection, leading to widespread damage and deaths.

Sonko's legal woes

In June, Sonko was acquitted on charges of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and of making death threats against her.

But he was convicted on separate charges of "corrupting youth" and sentenced to two years in prison.

The conviction in June brought Dakar to a standstill, with at least nine people killed as a result of violent clashes between the police and Sonko's supporters. 

They believe the charges were politically motivated and aimed at barring him from the presidential elections in 2024.

A thick cloud of smoke rises from smaller fires along the street, with a protester and three police officials in the picture, as violent crashes break out in Dakar in early June following Sonko's conviction
Violent clashes broke out in Dakar following Sonko's conviction in JuneImage: ZOHRA BENSEMRA/REUTERS

Uncertainty over whether Sall would run for a third term, despite a constitutional ban on seeking more than two terms, had already created a tense climate in the country.

Sonko had repeatedly called on Sall to publicly announce that he wouldn't seek a third term, an announcement that came in early July.

Should Macky Sall be commended for not breaking the law?

Senegal restricts internet

Senegal also restricted access to mobile internet on Monday, citing "hateful and subversive" messages on social media, as Sonko's supporters called for protests following his arrest at the weekend.

"Due to the dissemination of hateful and subversive messages on social networks ... mobile data internet is being temporarily suspended during certain hours from Monday July 31", the telecommunications and digital economy minister for said in a statement.

Senegal had also cut internet access during the clashes in June.

rm/lo (AFP, Reuters)