Protests erupt after allegations of detention of Senegalese leaders | Protests News

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Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was diverted to his home after trying to drive a convoy of vehicles to Dakar.

Demonstrators clashed with security forces in the Senegalese capital Dakar on Monday, burning cars and building barricades to protest the treatment of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who is on trial for rape.

Just a day earlier, Sonko, founder of the left-wing PASTEF party, had attempted to lead what he called a Freedom Caravan or Freedom Caravan from the city of Ziguinchor, where he is mayor, to Dakar.

But the convoy of vehicles was deemed illegal and diverted to a Sonko home in Dakar.

Interior Minister Antoine Félix Diome denied that Sonko had been arrested, but supporters and other politicians claimed security forces prevented them from visiting him.

Police also reportedly blocked roads around Sonkos’ residence in the Dakar neighborhood of Keur Gorgui. These restrictions have raised concerns about Sonkos’ rights and the fate of the upcoming 2024 Senegalese presidential elections, in which the PASTEF leader is a candidate.

Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko faces rape charges that could derail his candidacy [File: Cooper Inveen/Reuters]Restrictions on Ousmane Sonko’s freedom to come and go, without notification, are illegal and must end, the Senegalese branch of rights group Amnesty International said on Twitter, calling on authorities to respect the state of right.

El Malick Ndiaye, the national communications secretary of PASTEF, issued a strong statement on his own Twitter account. Dubbing PASTEF candidate President Sonko, Ndiaye accused Senegalese authorities of confiscating Sonko’s phones, laptop and personal effects and barricading his house.

They deny access to his staff, his lawyer and his relatives who come to visit him, Ndiaye wrote. We can tell you that President @SonkoOfficiel is now in prison. We must fight to free him.

Interior Minister Diome responded to the criticism by telling Senegalese television channel RTS that it is the prerogative of the state to maintain public order and preserve the safety of people and property.

In protest, supporters reportedly threw stones at police outside Sonko’s house, while law enforcement responded with tear gas.

It was the latest flare-up in the heated rivalry between Sonko and current President Macky Sall, a centrist representing the Alliance for the Republic party.

Critics have speculated that Senegalese President Macky Sall could run for a third term, testing constitutional limits [File: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters]Earlier this month, at least one teenager was killed and 30 people injured in Dakar after Sonko called for protests in response to his ongoing legal woes.

He was recently given a six-month suspended prison sentence in a defamation case after an appeals court decided to increase his sentence. Initially, in March, he was given a two-month suspended prison sentence.

The decision threatens to make him ineligible for the next presidential race. Sonko is set to return to court on June 1 for another case, this time to face allegations he raped and threatened a woman at a massage parlor in 2021.

Prosecutors intend to seek a 10-year sentence at the hearing, which could also derail Sonkos’ run for president.

Meanwhile, Sonko and his allies accused President Sall of trying to sabotage his candidacy. Sonko previously ran against Sall in the 2019 presidential election, placing third.

Normally, Senegalese presidents are limited to two terms. But critics fear Sall could use a constitutional change in 2016 as an excuse to run for a third term.

When Sall was first elected in 2012, a single presidential term lasted seven years. But in 2016, Senegal held a referendum to reduce presidential terms to five years.

Sall served his full seven-year term, then was re-elected in 2019 for a five-year term. But he hinted in statements to the media that the constitutional reform resets the clock and that he would be eligible for a second five-year term under its provisions.

It has been a hotly debated claim in Senegalese politics, leading to questions about whether Sall will run again in 2024 and how strong democracy is for West African nations.

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