On Thursday, before a court hearing involving opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who is strongly backed by many of the country’s youth, police and protesters battled in Dakar, the city of Senegal.
While hundreds of Sonko followers followed the vans that were transporting him to court for the resumption of a civil libel action against him by Senegal’s tourism minister for alleged defamation and public insults, law enforcement personnel opened fire with tear gas.
Tyres were set ablaze in the streets, and police were stoned by protesters. The reports reported that a sizable supermarket was set on fire.
Sonko, 48, is also accused of raping a worker at a beauty parlor in 2021 and threatening to kill her. He asserts that the accusations are politically driven and that he has done nothing wrong. The trial has not yet been given a date.
The latest episode of turmoil in Senegal, where presidential elections are slated for February of next year, occurred on Thursday. After two years of deadly bloodshed, the nation’s reputation as a bulwark of democracy and stability in a volatile area has been damaged.
Much of the rage is directed at President Macky Sall, who has infuriated many by refusing to rule out running for a third term. Senegal’s constitution only permits two terms, but others worry that Sall will reset his mandate in light of a recent amendment, a strategy adopted by other leaders in the area to consolidate control.
Also, his regime has been charged with imprisoning opponents and dissidents.
Nonetheless, because of the high unemployment rate and general economic hardship, many young Senegalese people are attracted to Sonko.
This has led to sporadic and sometimes violent protests. Cries of “Macky Sall is a dictator” rang out in Dakar during one protest in July 2022.
Tensions have flared before Sonko’s court appearance this week, with three days of protest. More than 10,000 supporters gathered at a field in Dakar on Tuesday to cheer on Sonko, who hopes to run for president in February. The former tax inspector came third in the 2019 polls – the youngest candidate in that election.