New clashes in Senegal after the arrest of Ousmane Sonko, a protester who died in Casamance
Senegalese police push back students during a demonstration in support of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko at the Chekh Anta Diop center in Dakar on March 4, 2021. AFP - SEYLLOU
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
In Senegal, new tensions arose on Thursday, following the arrest of Ousmane Sonko on Wednesday.
He was arrested on his way to court.
He is accused of rape by the employee of a massage parlor.
Accusations he rejects.
Young people demonstrated against the police.
Riot scenes broke out in several districts of Dakar and the opponent was taken into custody.
After a return to calm this Thursday morning, new clashes broke out between demonstrators and the police, in Dakar but also in the south of the country.
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With our correspondent in Dakar,
Charlotte Idrac
Clashes took place in particular at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar between students and the police, the BIP, the versatile police intervention brigade, arrived as reinforcements.
Tear gas grenades were fired throughout the afternoon, and blank bullets were fired.
Opposite, the young people - some posted on a roof - retaliated with throwing stones, bricks, sticks, we even saw one of them throw a sink.
At one point, the gate in front of the university fell.
A face-to-face therefore, on both sides of the statue of Cheikh Anta Diop erected quite recently.
Obviously, traffic has been blocked, the avenue is strewn with stones, all businesses have closed, no reliable report available on injuries on both sides.
► To read also: Senegal: the opponent Ousmane Sonko still in custody, tensions in Dakar and Casamance
Clashes and clashes also reported in the suburbs of Dakar, in the district of Sanitized Parcels, Pikine or Guédiawaye.
And in Casamance also clashes took place, in the south of the country, stronghold of the opponent, especially in Bignona where at least one death was recorded this Thursday, that of a young demonstrator.
This was confirmed to RFI by the prefect of the locality who indicates that an investigation is underway to determine the exact causes of this death.
Where are we with regard to the procedures that target the opponent?
According to one of Ousmane Sonko's lawyers contacted in the evening, the opponent is still in the research section, in police custody.
Police custody that can last 48 hours, so until Friday afternoon.
But he received, according to his defense, a warrant to appear, at the end of the afternoon, in the first procedure, therefore concerning the complaint for rape with threats.
"
He will only be able to appear free
", assured Master Massokhna Kane, of the collective of lawyers, in other words only if police custody is lifted.
In this context, the signals of private television channels senTV and Walfadjiri were cut on TNT Wednesday during the clashes following the arrest of Ousmane Sonko, the audiovisual regulatory council had warned some media, in evoking "
calls for popular uprising, by broadcasting calls for insurgency in a loop
".
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