Senegalese opposition leader ‘barred from presidential bid’
Jailed Senegalese opposition figure Ousmane Sonko is being illegally prevented from submitting his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, his supporters have claimed. The leader of the Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity (PASTEF) party was recently reinstated to the country’s electoral list, in a court ruling which went against the government.
A court in the capital, Dakar, ordered Sonko’s reinstatement on the electoral list last week, overturning the government’s decision that would have prevented him from running in the February presidential vote. He had initially been removed from the register in July after being arrested on multiple charges, including inciting rebellion in the West African state.
Sonko remains in prison and has only until December 26 to gather sponsors and file his candidacy.
On Tuesday, his representative, Ayib Daffe, and his lawyer, Cledor Ly, claimed that they had been denied access to the Senegalese Interior Ministry authorities in charge of distributing the sponsorship forms.
“We’re going to come back as many times as we have to because we have the law on our side. We have justice on our side. We have the people with us,” Daffe was quoted by AFP as saying.
Senegal has witnessed deadly protests, sparked by several legal cases against Sonko, which his party has described as “political witch-hunting” aimed at “intimidating” him from contesting the February elections. He is seen as the main candidate to replace President Macky Sall, who announced in July that he would not run for office next year.
In June, violence erupted across the former French colony, killing at least 16 people after Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison for immoral behavior toward a minor. He was remanded in prison at the end of July after authorities re-arrested and charged him with new offenses, including rallying supporters for “insurrectionary movements.”
The PASTEF coalition leader, who finished third in Senegal’s presidential election in 2019, is seen as a potential authority for the country’s break with former colonial power France.
Last year, Sonko removed the name of former French leader Charles de Gaulle from an avenue and renamed it ‘Peace Street’ after becoming mayor of the Ziguinchor district.
Critics claim Sonko has close ties to Russia, which they say is concerning for Senegal. However, Said Larifou, a lawyer for the PASTEF leader, told the press last month that, while his client does not have any close alliances, he believes in Africa embracing inclusivity in international engagement.
Prior to Senegal’s presidential elections in 2019, Moscow was accused of planning to fund Sonko’s campaign, allegations that the Russian Embassy in Dakar dismissed as false.
