Deadly Protests in Senegal
Dakar, March 8 (AFP/APP): Senegal deployed armoured cars in the capital Dakar on Monday after days of deadly protests, as supporters of detained opposition leader Ousmane Sonko called for fresh demonstrations ahead of his latest court appearance.
Five people including a schoolboy have been killed in clashes sparked by the arrest of Sonko and dozens of his supporters. It is the worst violence in years in a country usually seen as a beacon of stability in volatile West Africa.
The United Nations and Senegal’s neighbours have appealed for all sides to show restraint, and President Macky Sall is facing mounting pressure to speak out.
Sonko came third in 2019’s presidential election and his popularity with Senegal’s young people has fuelled speculation that he could be a future leader.
He was due to appear in court on Monday to answer questions about a rape charge, in a case he says is politically motivated. Early Monday, dozens of opposition supporters waved flags and chanted “free Sonko” outside the courthouse with armoured vehicles posted nearby, while access to the building was heavily policed.
An opposition collective known as the Movement for the Defence of Democracy called on Saturday for three days of massive demonstrations starting from Monday.
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