Senegal: mixed reactions after the conviction of Ousmane Sonko for defamation

Ousmane Sonko on July 3, 2022 in Ziguinchor. [Illustrative image]. AFP - MUHAMADOU BITTAYE

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2 min

The opponent was sentenced Thursday, March 30 to a two-month suspended prison sentence. The defense of Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, who had filed a complaint against Ousmane Sonko for defamation, says he has appealed.

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With our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac

In Senegal, reactions are mixed after the trial of Ousmane Sonko held on March 30, 2023. The opponent was given a two-month suspended prison sentence for defaming tourism minister Mame Mbaye Niang, whom he had accused of embezzlement.

It is a verdict of "appeasement" says Pierre-Olivier Sur, one of Mame Mbaye Niang's lawyers; a decision "measured" according to him, in the sense of easing tension, which allows Ousmane Sonko to "remain in the political debate". But Senegal's African Patriots for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (Pastef) rejected a "shameful verdict." In a statement published last night, the political bureau denounced a "travesty of justice", a "complicit justice" that had not – according to Pastef – sought to elucidate what it describes as "financial carnage". For the opposition party, the candidacy of Ousmane Sonko for the presidential election of 2024 "is not negotiable". He calls on his activists to continue "the fight".

Mame Mbaye Niang's lawyers appealed

With this sentence, the leader of the Pastef party remains eligible for the presidential election scheduled for February 2024. But the procedure is not over. "We will start from scratch," said Baboucar Cissé, one of Mame Mbaye Niang's lawyers. He said he had appealed yesterday's ruling. He speaks of a "partial satisfaction" after the court decision, in particular on the amount of damages: Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to pay 200 million FCFA (about 300,000 euros) for the damage, while the civil party claimed 29 billion FCFA (about 44 million euros).

The lawyer points out that the prosecutor's office has also appealed on his side. The prosecutor had requested a two-year prison sentence against Ousmane Sonko, including one year for defamation and forgery.

So if the tension has eased in Dakar after yesterday's trial – life has returned to normal after an almost "dead city" day – the respite could be short-lived. This is not the epilogue. Especially since Ousmane Sonko is being prosecuted in another case, for accusations of rape by Adji Sarr. No date has been set for a trial in this case.

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Read on on the same topics:

• Senegal
• Presidential election in Senegal