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Death toll in Senegal protests rises to 15 as opposition supporters clash with policeExBulletin

Death toll in Senegal protests rises to 15 as opposition supporters clash with policeExBulletin

 



A demonstrator throws a stone at police during a protest in a neighborhood in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday. The clashes first erupted after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was convicted of youth corruption and sentenced to two years in prison.

Leo Correa/AP


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Leo Correa/AP


A demonstrator throws a stone at police during a protest in a neighborhood in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday. The clashes first erupted after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was convicted of youth corruption and sentenced to two years in prison.

Leo Correa/AP

DAKAR, Senegal The number of people killed in days of clashes between Senegalese police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has now risen to 15, including two security officers, the government said on Saturday.

While Dakar was calmer on Saturday, clashes continued into the evening. In residential neighborhoods, protesters threw stones at police, blocked roads and set tires on fire. The military patrolled the streets while police fired tear gas at demonstrators, inspecting and arresting people thought to be causing trouble.

Residents looked over the roofs of buildings, both ducking for cover and watching the fighting.

The clashes first erupted on Thursday after Sonko was convicted of youth corruption but acquitted of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and making death threats against her. Sonko, who did not attend his trial in Dakar, was sentenced to two years in prison. His lawyer said an arrest warrant had not yet been issued for him.

Sonko came third in Senegal’s 2019 presidential election and is popular with the country’s youth. His supporters say his legal troubles are part of a government effort to derail his 2024 presidential bid.

Sonko is considered the main competition of President Macky Sall and has asked Sall to publicly declare that he will not seek a third term in office.

The international community has called on the government of Senegal to resolve tensions. France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said it was “extremely concerned by the violence” and called for a resolution to the crisis, in line with Senegal’s long democratic tradition.

Human rights groups have condemned the government crackdown, which has included arbitrary arrests and restrictions on social media. Several social media sites used by demonstrators to incite violence, such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter, have been suspended for nearly two days.

The US State Department issued a statement condemning the violence.

“Senegal’s strong record of democratic governance, rule of law and peaceful coexistence is something the Senegalese people can rightly be proud of. We call on all parties to express their views in a peaceful manner,” he said. department spokesman Matthew Miller.

Senegalese blame the government for the violence and loss of life.

One woman, Seynabou Diop, told The Associated Press on Saturday that her 21-year-old son, Khadim, was killed in the protests, shot in the chest.

“I feel deep pain. What is happening is difficult. Our children are dying. I never thought I would have to go through this,” she said.

It was the first time her son, a disciplined and polite mechanic, had joined the protests, rushing out of the house as soon as he heard Sonko had been sentenced, she said.

“I think Macky Sall is responsible. If he would talk to the Senegalese people, especially the youth, maybe we wouldn’t have all these problems,” Diop said. The Associated Press could not verify the cause of death. The family said an autopsy was underway.

Corruption of youth, which involves using a position of power to have sexual relations with persons under the age of 21, is a criminal offense in Senegal, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $6,000.

Under Senegalese law, Sonko’s conviction would bar him from running in next year’s elections, said Bamba Cisse, another defense lawyer. However, the government said Sonko could seek a retrial after being jailed. It was not known when he would be held in custody.

If the violence continues, it could threaten the country’s institutions, analysts say.

“Never in their worst nightmares (would) Senegalese have thought of witnessing the prevailing forms of apocalyptic and irrational violence,” said Alioune Tine, founder of the Afrikajom Center, a West African think tank.

“The most common feeling about the current situation is fear, stress, exhaustion and helplessness. So what people are looking for now is peace,” he said.

The West African country has been seen as a bastion of democratic stability in the region.

Sonko has not been heard from or seen since the verdict. In a statement on Friday, his PASTEF-Patriots party called on Senegalese to “reinforce and intensify constitutional resistance” until President Sall leaves office.

Government spokesman Abdou Karim Fofana said the damage caused by months of demonstrations had cost the country millions of dollars. He argued that the protesters posed a threat to democracy.

“These calls (to protest) resemble the anti-republican nature of all these movements that hide behind social networks and do not believe in the foundations of democracy, which are elections, freedom of expression, but also the resources that. our (legal) system offers,” said Fofana.

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2/ https://www.npr.org/2023/06/03/1180013963/senegal-protests-sonko-opposition-leader

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