Shops and banks closed early on Wednesday as Senegal braced for fresh protests called by the opposition coalition over a court case involving one of its leaders that has already fuelled violence ahead of presidential elections next year.
Ousmane Sonko is due in court on Thursday for a hearing in a libel case brought by the tourism minister, who alleged that Sonko had accused him of embezzlement without proof.
If found guilty, Sonko, 48, who came third in the 2019 presidential election and has declared he will run in the February 2024 election, could be struck from the voter roll and disqualified as a candidate.on the day of Sonko's last court appearance on March 16, as police fired tear gas at supporters accompanying his motorcade to the courthouse. Demonstrators burned tyres and set fire to buses and a supermarket.
Sonko's case was postponed to March 30 after his lawyers said he was seeking medical treatment for inhaling a substance that impaired his breathing and eyesight during the last protests. The charismatic former tax inspector, who has won support among Senegal's disenfranchised urban youth, has become a focus for anger at Sall's failure to rule out running for a third term next year.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
FNB vs Takealot vs Incredible — Cheapest shops to buy load-shedding backup powerWe compared the prices that FNB charges for a variety of backup power products to several popular online retailers.
Read more »
Holders Senegal through to Afcon finals, Namibia humble CameroonDefending champions Senegal, Burkina Faso, South Africa and Tunisia added their names to the list of qualified teams for next year’s African Cup of Nations finals after away successes in Tuesday’s qualifiers.
Read more »
Senegal: TikTok Star Khaby Lame is the Third Most Influential Celebrity On Social MediaTikTok sensation Khaby Lame ranks third on the list with a social media influence score of 85.24 out of 100. The Senegalese-born Italian who went viral in 2020 beat out Obama, Rihanna and Beyonce on the list of the most influential black celebrities. Kylian Mbappé was revealed to be the most influential black celebrity, with a social media influence score of 93.18 out of 100. The French footballer has 97.1 million followers on Instagram and 11.7 million followers on Twitter,
Read more »