Two people were killed at protests in the southern Senegalese city of Ziguinchor after the arrest of Ousmane Sonko, one of the leaders of the Senegalese opposition, Report informs referring to the country’s Ministry of Interior.
“The Ministry of the Interior was informed of the discovery of the bodies of two men on July 31, 2023, during demonstrations in Ziguinchor,” the Interior Ministry wrote on its Twitter page.
On July 31, the Senegalese authorities disbanded the country’s main opposition party, African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF), accusing its leaders of subversive activities. PASTEF leader Ousmane Sonko was detained last week on charges of inciting an uprising. As reported by the Senegalese News Agency (APS), citing a lawyer, on July 31, the oppositionist was formally charged and taken into custody.
The detention of Sonko caused a wave of protests in the country. In early June, he had already been sentenced to two years in prison on charges of ‘defilement of the youth.’ The verdict effectively canceled the plans of the opposition politician to participate in the presidential elections scheduled for February 2024.