Senegal: mediation of religious in the Sonko affair
Ousmane Sonko during his statement to the press, February 25, 2021 © RFI / Théa Ollivier
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
In Senegal, the Ousmane Sonko affair continues to stir up political debate.
The opponent, who came third in the last presidential election, is accused of rape by an employee of a massage parlor.
The MP's parliamentary immunity was lifted last Friday.
For those responsible for the majority, this is a "private matter" and justice will have to decide, but the camp of Ousmane Sonko denounces a "plot" to remove him from the political scene as well as a series of arrests of his supporters in recent days.
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With our correspondent in Dakar,
Charlotte Idrac
In this context of arm wrestling, religious leaders - Christians and Muslims - have launched a mediation.
They have already met Ousmane Sonko, at his home, last Saturday.
An exchange described as "
frank
" and "
open
".
Members of the collective, coordinated by Father Jacques Seck, asked the opponent to call for appeasement.
“
Far from us the idea of interfering in the action of the judicial institution.
We are not judges or lawyers.
We are facilitators, people of good will, before it escalates and becomes unmanageable because there are already scuffles.
There are wounded, houses that have been burnt…
”, specifies Mame Mactar Guèye, spokesperson for the Islamic NGO Jamra.
"
No bias,
" assures the group "Religious for the safeguard of civil peace" which now seeks to meet the complainant, but it is not so simple: "
It drags a little because from what her lawyers told me, since the filing of her complaint, she continues to receive death threats and since she has the right to protection of her physical integrity, the State has taken steps to ensure that she benefits from 'a close guard, etc.
"
A mediation to lower the tension therefore, even if that will not change the course of the procedure.
After the lifting of parliamentary immunity, the investigating judge can now ask to hear Ousmane Sonko.
However, the opponent has already claimed that he will not respond to a summons.
A call for a demonstration was launched for Friday by his party.
Read also: Senegal: Ousmane Sonko's immunity lifted, his supporters plan to demonstrate
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