Senegal clashes claim nine lives

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On Thursday, nine people were killed in skirmishes with police in the Senegalese cities of Dakar and Ziguinchor. This comes after Ousmane Sonko, a key opposition figure in the PASTEF-Patriots party, was sentenced to two years in prison. Similar incidents have been reported in other sections of the country.

Sonko was found guilty of “corruption of the youth” but was acquitted of raping a woman who was working at a beauty salon and of making death threats against her.

The politician has been the mayor of Ziguinchor, one of the largest cities in Senegal, since 2022. His supporters fear that the conviction will undermine his chances of participating in next year’s presidential election, where he would run against incumbent President Macky Sall