Considered among the most stable of African countries for not having had a coup and transferring power bloodlessly three times, Senegal 🇸🇳 has frayed badly recently with the over-reacrion by the government to the leader of the opposition, Ousmane Sonko, a former civil servant.
Again Opposition International raises a warning that the increased technology of surveillance and censorship has stoked government’s into clearly non-democratic behaviour. Democracy is at risk if governments cannot control its urge to spy and harrass.
Key Points from CNBC
- Days of violent clashes erupted late last week between security forces and supporters of Ousmane Sonko, the 2024 presidential candidate and leader of the opposition PASTEF party sentenced in absentia on Thursday to two years in prison for “corrupting the youth.”
- The unrest is the worst seen for decades in a country often held up as a beacon for democracy and stability in the region.
- As of Monday, at least 16 people had reportedly been killed and hundreds of others injured, while police had arrested around 500 people across several cities. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/07/senegal-one-of-africas-bastions-of-stability-faces-its-gravest-threat-of-unrest-in-decades.html
Muhamadou Bittaye/AFP via Getty Images
Aljeezera Reort on PASTEF Dissolution
Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko faces charges of fomenting insurrection as interior ministry says his PASTEF party has been dissolved.
Published On 31 Jul 202331 Jul 2023
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/31/senegal-dissolves-party-of-opposition-leader-sonko
“Senegal’s interior ministry has dissolved the political party of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko for rallying supporters into stoking unrest during violent protests last month, as demonstrators clashed with police in the capital Dakar.
According to a decree signed by Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, the government accused the party leaders of “frequently calling on its supporters to insurrectional movements, which has led to serious consequences, including loss of life, many wounded, as well as acts of looting of public and private property”.
“The latest are the serious disturbances to public order recorded during the first week of June 2023, after those of March 2021,” the decree said.”