Senegal: Pastef announces filing a complaint for attempted assassination against Ousmane Sonko

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Members of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko's security team surround the vehicle in which he is traveling to attend a court appearance in Dakar on March 16, 2023. AFP - SEYLLOU

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2 min

In Senegal, the opposition party Pastef announces a complaint for attempted murder and bodily harm against Ousmane Sonko. The president of the party was reportedly brutalized on Thursday, March 16 on his way to court while responding to a summons from justice. The ruling coalition denounces maneuvers to evade trial.

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With our correspondent in Dakar, Juliette Dubois

The state of health of Ousmane Sonko is extremely worrying. This is what his party said on Saturday, March 18 at a press conference. The opposition leader had received tear gas during the hectic journey from his home to the Dakar court on Thursday. The Pastef announces that it will take legal action.

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Every time President Ousmane Sonko is summoned, it is the pretext to physically attack him. And this culminated on March 16with an assassination attempt against a background of poisoning. These despicable and barbaric acts against the president, Ousmane Sonko and even his lawyers and activists will be the subject of complaints that the party will file for attempted assassination and bodily harm," said Bassirou Diomaye Faye, secretary general of Pastef.

The opposition party is also demanding the return of Ousmane Sonko's passport so that he can be evacuated to carry out analyses on the gas he received.

One of his lawyers, Maître Ciré Clédor Ly, who also inhaled tear gas, has already been evacuated to the France.

► Read also Senegal: clashes in Dakar during the trial for defamation of the opponent Ousmane Sonko

For the ruling coalition, these accusations are unfounded. "Everything about the gentleman is unfortunately not political, but political and small manipulations and especially a clear desire to obstruct justice, so all he does afterwards is staging to obviously not go and present the evidence of these accusations against Minister Mame Mbaye Niang," says Pape Mahawa Diouf, spokesman for the Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition.

Ousmane Sonko was still being treated at a clinic in Dakar on Saturday night. His defamation trial is scheduled to resume on 30 March.

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Read on on the same topics:

• Senegal
• Justice