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The United Nations and African Union called for calm in Senegal after an outbreak of deadly violence that prompted authorities to deploy the army. Nine people were killed recently after popular opposition politician, Ousmane Sonko, was sentenced to two years in jail.
The United Nations and African Union called for calm in Senegal after an outbreak of deadly violence that prompted authorities to deploy the army. Nine people were killed recently after popular opposition politician, Ousmane Sonko, was sentenced to two years in jail.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the violence and urged all those involved to exercise restraint. The African Union said its commission president, Moussa Faki Mahamat, strongly condemned the violence and urged leaders to avoid acts.
The Community of West African States (ECOWAS) called on all parties to defend the country’s laudable reputation as a bastion of peace and stability. The EU and Senegal’s former colonial power France also expressed concern over the violence.
Sonko was convicted for “corrupting” a young woman, in a case that has deeply divided Senegal, usually a bastion of stability in West Africa. After some of the worst political violence in years on Thursday, tensions remained high on Friday, with sporadic clashes reported in the capital and soldiers deployed on the streets. Sonko, who was tried in absentia, has yet to be taken into custody for his jail term, which is likely to cause further tensions.
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Under the electoral code, the verdict would appear to render him ineligible for next year’s election. Sonko has maintained his innocence and claims the president is trying to frame him to keep him out of next year’s election — a charge the government denies.
