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In Pictures: Violent clashes continue in Senegal

Protesters waved the Senegalese flag and torched a car during the rally after opposition leader was charged with rape.

A protester runs past a burning car during protests in Dakar [John Wessels/AFP]
Published On 9 Mar 2021

Senegalese police fired tear gas to disperse stone-throwing protesters from a square in the capital Dakar on Monday, hours after the country’s opposition leader was charged with rape.

Thousands of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko’s supporters converged on a central square in the city, hurling stones at riot police who retaliated by firing tear gas.

Protesters waved the Senegalese flag and torched a car during the rally while denouncing the accusation against Sonko as politically motivated.

“We cannot allow [President] Macky Sall to flout democracy and imprison his opponents,” said Rama Diop, a 30-year-old protester. “Ousmane Sonko represents only a hope for a better future.”

Usually considered a beacon of stability in a volatile region, deadly clashes between opposition supporters and security forces have rocked the West African state since last week.

At least five people have died in nationwide unrest sparked on Wednesday by the arrest of Sonko, a sharp-tongued government critic who is popular with youth.

A court in Dakar freed Sonko from detention on Monday but also pressed charges in a rape case against him, which he says is politically motivated.

Sonko called for “much larger” protests but urged non-violence after days of deadly clashes in the West African state sparked by his recent arrest.

Supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko try to control the crowd while they celebrate Sonko's release on bail in Dakar. [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters]
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Supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko hold their hands high as sign for the police not to fire during clashes with security forces in Dakar. [Zohra Bensethemra/Reuters]
Security forces stand in a line during clashes with supporters of opposition leader Sonko. [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters]
Senegalese authorities freed Sonko as he awaits trial on charges of rape and making death threats. The case has sparked deadly protests threatening to erode Senegal's reputation as one of West Africa’s most stable democracies. [Leo Correa/AP Photo]
Sonko supporters clash with security forces in Dakar. At least five people have died in nationwide unrest sparked on Wednesday by his arrest. [Aliou Mbaye/EPA]
Protesters gather outside the Justice Palace in Dakar. A court in Dakar freed Sonko from detention on Monday but also pressed charges in a rape case against him, which he says is politically motivated. [Aliou Mbaye/EPA]
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Protesters run as police fire tear gas during a protest in Dakar. [John Wessels/AFP]
Sonko called for "much larger" protests, but urged non-violence after days of deadly clashes in the West African state sparked by his recent arrest. [John Wessels/AFP]
A man walks past an armoured personnel carrier belonging to the Armed Forces of Senegal. President Macky Sall called for calm, appealing in an address to the nation for protesters to avoid confrontation. [John Wessels/AFP]