The sexual assault case behind Senegal’s unrest

Senegal, a beacon of stability and democracy in West Africa, has been rocked by deadly protests.

Supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko run away as they clash with security forces, after Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 2, 2023
Supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko run away as they clash with security forces, after Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal, on June 2, 2023 [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters]

Clashes erupted in Senegal after opposition figure Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison on June 1. He was accused of raping a woman who worked in a massage parlor; the court cleared Sonko of rape but found him guilty of a separate offence – immoral behaviour towards individuals younger than 21. Sonko’s supporters have reacted with violent protests in the streets and at least 15 people have died. They claim charges against Sonko are a ploy to prevent him from running in the 2024 presidential elections.

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Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters with Sonia Bhagat and our host, Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Tim St. Clair mixed this episode.

Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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Source: Al Jazeera

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