(Dakar) The Senegalese government announced on Wednesday evening “immediate judicial inquiries” into the unrest “of unprecedented violence” that occurred in the country after the conviction of opponent Ousmane Sonko and left at least 16 people dead last week .
These investigations aim to “shed light on the responsibilities related to these events” which occurred between 1er and on June 3 in Dakar and in the provinces after the conviction of Mr. Sonko in a morality case, says a press release published after a government meeting.
The government condemns these “extremely serious attacks against the State, the Republic and the institutions” whose “objective was undoubtedly to sow terror and bring our country to a standstill”.
President Macky Sall asked the government to take steps to assist “persons and entities who have suffered harm” and reiterated “his determination to protect the Nation and the State”, in this West African country, an island of stability. in a troubled region, the statement said.
Senegal experienced between the 1er and on June 3 its worst troubles for years after the condemnation to two years in prison of opponent Ousmane Sonko in a morality case. This conviction of a personality popular in youth and underprivileged circles makes him in the current state ineligible for the presidential election of 2024.
Mr. Sonko has continued to shout at the plot of power to exclude him from the election, which the power refutes.
The sentence sparked clashes that left at least 16 people dead and considerable damage. It gave rise to demonstrations abroad.
The government and the opposition blamed each other for the violence. The presidential camp invoked the calls for “insurrection” launched according to him by Mr. Sonko to escape justice. He denounced the unrest as an attempt to destabilize the state.