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Still reeling from a whirlwind campaign, young people in Senegal threw jackets over their worn election T-shirts on Tuesday to attend the inauguration of an opposition politician who went from political prisoner to president in less than three weeks. Their new leader, Bassirou Diomaye Faye — at 44, Africa’s youngest elected president — took the oath of office promising “systemic change,” and paying homage to the many people killed, injured, and imprisoned in the yearslong lead-up to the West African country’s election. “I will always keep in mind the heavy sacrifices made so as to never disappoint you,” Mr. Faye said, addressing a vast auditorium in which African heads of state and dignitaries sat at the front. From the back, hundreds of supporters of Mr. Faye and his powerful backer, the opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, shouted for joy. It was the culmination of months of drama, after the former president, Macky Sall, canceled the election with just weeks to go, citing irregularities at the constitutional council — and then, under intense domestic and international pressure, agreed to hold it after all.
Persons: Bassirou Diomaye Faye —, Africa’s, , , Mr, Faye, Ousmane Sonko, Macky Sall Organizations: West Locations: Senegal
CNN —Former Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba has conceded defeat to leading opposition figure Bassirou Diomaye Faye in the western African country’s presidential elections. “I wish him lots of success and success for the well-being of the Senegalese people,” he added. Several opposition candidates in Sunday’s election conceded defeat to Faye earlier. Faye was also congratulated early Monday by another presidential candidate, Khalifa Sall. Official results will be announced by Saturday at the latest, according to an official from Senegal’s Autonomous National Electoral Commission.
Persons: Amadou Ba, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, , Macky Sall, Faye, Ba, Futurs Médias, Anta Babacar Ngom, , Faye “, Khalifa, . Ba, kickstart, Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Sall, Organizations: CNN —, Senegalese, Saturday, Senegal’s, Electoral Commission Locations: Ba, Senegal, .
With the concession of his main rival, a young political outsider backed by a powerful opposition figure has won a surprise outright victory in Senegal’s presidential election only 10 days after being released from jail. Bassirou Diomaye Faye is the anointed candidate of Senegal’s popular and controversial opposition politician Ousmane Sonko. Mr. Faye’s main rival, the governing party candidate Amadou Ba, conceded in a statement congratulating his rival on Monday for winning in the first round. Mr. Faye, who celebrated his 44th birthday on Monday, will become the West African country’s youngest ever president. “I wish him a lot of success, for the well-being of the Senegalese people,” Mr. Ba said in a statement released Monday afternoon that addressed Mr. Faye as president.
Persons: Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Ousmane Sonko, Faye’s, Amadou Ba, Faye, , Ba Organizations: African country’s
She had badgered her friends and family to persuade them to vote for a major change of government. “They’re the only ones saying they’re going to change the system,” said Ms. Faye, a college student. The West African nation of Senegal votes for a new president Sunday, in an election that many young people see as a chance to overhaul the political and economic order. Last month, the incumbent president, Macky Sall, had called off the election with only three weeks to go. And suddenly, last week, he released from jail the pugnacious opposition figure many see as his nemesis — Ousmane Sonko — along with the man Mr. Sonko is backing for president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Persons: Aminata Faye, , , , Faye, Macky Sall, — Ousmane Sonko —, Sonko, Bassirou Diomaye Faye Locations: Senegal, Mbour
CNN —Senegalese voters will choose their next president on Sunday in a delayed and high-stakes election that poses a test for the country’s democracy. A long list of candidates are running, but two former tax inspectors - one representing the government, the other the main opposition coalition - are considered frontrunners. Just over seven million of Senegal’s 18 million people are registered to vote in this election, the country’s electoral body said. It shows how desperate these young people are due to the failure of President Sall to create employment,” Thior said. The ruling coalition candidate Ba kicked off his campaign promising “massive employment” for young people and improving the “purchasing power of households” by creating thousands of jobs.
Persons: Macky Sall, , Sall, , , Zohra Bensemra, Ousmane Sene, Mamadou Thior, Sall’s, Amadou Ba, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Ousmane Sonko, jeopardizing, Sonko, kickstart, Carmen Abd Ali, Faye, John Wessels, Thior, “ We’re, “ Thior, Idrissa Seck, ” Faye, Ba, Michele Cattani, ” Thior, ” Sene Organizations: CNN, Senegalese, BBC, , Reuters, West African Research Center, firebrand, president's Alliance, Republic, Getty, Sonko, International Organization for, International Monetary Fund Locations: West African, Senegal, ” Senegal, Dakar, Senegalese, Diourbel, AFP, Republic, Medina, Canary, Europe, Spain, Nicaragua,
Senegal Election 2024: What You Need to Know
  + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Ruth Maclean | ) www.nytimes.com   time to read: +1 min
Senegal, with a ticking economy, is seen as a stable, safe country — no small feat in western Africa, where coups, crises and insurgencies abound. But then the president, Macky Sall, blew up any chance of a mundane election. He went on state television and canceled the vote, alleging corruption in the way candidates were approved by constitutional court. And then, in a dramatic move, he released the leading opposition candidate and the leader of the opposition party from prison. Then there are 17 other candidates, among them former mayors and prime ministers.
Persons: Macky, Sall backtracked, Amadou Ba, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, He’s, Ousmane Sonko Locations: Senegal, Africa
Reuters —Senegal President Macky Sall said on Thursday that April 2 will be the end of his mandate as president of the West African nation. His announcement came after the country’s Constitutional Council, the highest election authority, ruled last week that a 10-month postponement of the vote was unlawful. Sall said however that he cannot issue a decree to hold the election before a national dialogue takes place. He said that candidates who had not been approved by the Constitutional Council would also be invited to the dialogue. “If we find consensus, I will issue the decree immediately to set the date; if consensus is not found, I will refer the matter to the Constitutional Council,” Sall said.
Persons: Macky Sall, ” Sall, Sall, Ousmane Sonko, Karim Wade, Abdoulaye Wade, , Bassirou Diomaye Faye Organizations: Reuters, Constitutional, , firebrand, Constitutional Council Locations: Senegal, West African
CNN —Senegal’s outgoing president Macky Sall Friday said he would hold presidential elections “as soon as possible” one day after the West African country’s constitutional council ruled against his decision to postpone elections. “The head of state will conduct necessary consultations to hold the presidential election as soon as possible,” the statement added. Sall was under pressure to react once the top court Thursday rejected his bid to delay elections until the end of the year. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) urged all parties in Senegal to comply with the constitutional council’s decision. “No to presidential election postponement”, said another released opposition leader Aboubacar Djamil Sané of the PASTEF Party, who had been imprisoned for seven months.
Persons: CNN —, Macky Sall, , , Sall, Babacar Gueye, Thursday’s, Pierre Goudiaby Atépa, Ousmane Sonko, ” Sonko, Cheikh Oumar Diagne, Diagne, Aboubacar Djamil Organizations: CNN, Constitutional Council, French, RFI, West African States, , Senegalese, Truth, PASTEF Party Locations: Republic, Senegalese, Senegal
CNN —In a region plagued by volatility, Senegal had long been praised for its political stability. Senegal remains an outlier as the sole mainland West African country never to have experienced a military coup. Nobody wants democracy in Senegal to degenerate,” Ojewale said. “Senegal is the most enduring democracy in West Africa. Sonko’s opposition PASTEF Party, however, criticized the postponement of the election, describing it as “a serious threat” to Senegal’s democracy.
Persons: Macky Sall, Sall, Oluwole, ” Ojewale, Ojewale, , Amadou Barry, , Sall’s, Ousmane Sonko, Karim Wade, Amadou Ba, Idrissa Seck, Sonko, Wade, Abdoulaye Wade, Malick Gackou, Aminata, Babacar, PASTEF’s Yassine Organizations: CNN, Sall, Institute of Security Studies, Ministry of Communications, Telecommunications, Amnesty, , Democracy, Constitutional, PASTEF Party, Senegalese, Amnesty International, Economic, West African States, French Foreign Ministry, United Nations Locations: Senegal, West Africa, West, Dakar, France, “ Senegal, ” Dakar, Senegal’s, ” France
Senegal seeks regulation deal with TikTok after ban
  + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
TikTok logo is seen in this illustration taken, June 2, 2023. "For the time being, the restriction is being maintained pending the conclusion of a comprehensive written agreement," communications minister Moussa Bocar Thiam told a press conference, adding that authorities were in discussions with TikTok. During its discussions with TikTok, the government requested better regulation of the platform and asked questions about the functioning of its algorithm and data protection. It also asked for fair remuneration for content creators that would enable young people to make a living from social media. Reporting by Ngouda Dione; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Dado Ruvic, Moussa Bocar Thiam, Ousmane Sonko, Macky Sall, TikTok, Ngouda Dione, Anait Miridzhanian, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Rights DAKAR, Sonko, West Africa
Senegal suspends TikTok saying it was threatening stability
  + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
TikTok logo is seen in this illustration taken, June 2, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photoDAKAR, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Senegal has suspended access to social media app TikTok until further notice, the communications minister said on Wednesday, days after restricting the use of mobile internet amid opposition protests. The West African country has also restricted access to internet services since Monday, using a similar justification. The restrictions come after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was charged with plotting an insurrection, criminal conspiracy and other offences. Reporting by Ngouda Dione; Writing by Nellie Peyton; editing by Jason Neely and Alexander WinningOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ousmane Sonko, Macky, Sonko, Ngouda Dione, Nellie Peyton, Jason Neely, Alexander Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal
DAKAR, July 29 (Reuters) - Senegal's opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was charged on Saturday with plotting an insurrection, criminal conspiracy and other offenses, two months after his trial for a separate rape charge sparked deadly riots across the country. Sonko, 49, was handed a two-year prison sentence on June 1 for immoral behavior towards individuals younger than 21, leading to protests in which at least 16 people were killed. Sonko was detained on Friday following a scuffle with security forces stationed outside his home, who he claimed were filming him without permission. Playing videos from a laptop of Sonko making allegedly inciteful speeches, Senegal's state prosecutor Abdou Karim Diop told a crowded press conference that Sonko would be freshly charged with calling for insurrection, plotting against the state and criminal conspiracy, among other charges. Reporting by Ngouda Dione; Writing by Cooper Inveen; Editing by Bate FelixOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Abdou Karim Diop, Ngouda Dione, Cooper Inveen, Bate Felix Organizations: Thomson Locations: DAKAR
An attack on a state-owned water plant could create shortages in Dakar, where it hasn't rained for eight months and where water cuts are common, Diome said. Bus company Dem Dikk, which is part state owned and whose beige buses are recurring targets during protests, partially resumed services this week. Attacks on its buses have cost the company over $7 million since March 2021, CEO Ousmane Sylla told Reuters. Stalled operations can cost Dem Dikk up to $80,000 in losses per day and make it tricky for thousands of commuters to get to work. "It is creating unemployment," he said, adding that it was already difficult for graduates to find jobs before the unrest.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, Diome, Read, Ousmane Sylla, Dem, Sylla, . University student Mbodj, Saint Louis, Ngouda Dione, Sofia Christensen, Edward McAllister, Sharon Singleton Organizations: KFC, Sedima Group, International Labour Organization . Bus, Reuters, . University student, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Dakar, Mbour, Keur Massar, Saint
DAKAR, Senegal - June 2, 2023: Supporters of jailed opposition leader Ousmane Sonko protest in the Senegalese capital following his two-year sentencing for "corrupting the youth." The criminal conviction of a populist opposition leader in Senegal has triggered widespread unrest that threatens the West African country's long-established political stability. "The African Union and ECOWAS should use their influence to press Senegalese authorities to end their repression of protests and critics." The underlying roots of the unrest are both political and socio-economic, according to analysts at African specialist intelligence company Pangea-Risk. Consumer price inflation has slowed since late 2022, but hovers at around 9%, with food prices up more than 11% year-on-year.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Kaneza Nantulya, Antonio Guterres, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Kaneza, Sonko, Macky, Sall Organizations: Human Rights Watch, United Nations, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, African Union Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Africa
Many protesters also sustained injuries amid clashes for a third day with security forces, following Sonko’s sentencing. Security forces look at supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko during clashes after Sonko was sentenced to prison, in Dakar, Senegal, June 3, 2023. ArrestsMore than 500 people have been arrested, Senegalese Director of Public Security, Ibrahima Diop, in said a televised address late Sunday. People walk past a bus shelter shattered during clashes between supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and security forces, after Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 3, 2023. Supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko clash with security forces after Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 2, 2023.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Zohra Bensemra, Reuters Sonko, Macky, Ibrahima Diop, , ” Diop, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, Netblocks, Edward McAllister Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Public Security, Patriots, Senegalese, Amnesty Locations: Senegal, Dakar, Senegalese
In one post, the 26-year-old student warned his 1,700 followers about security forces firing live rounds at protesters. Offline he helped too, showing elderly neighbours how to ease their discomfort from inhaling mouthfuls of tear gas, said his younger brother Djimbala Ba. His supporters say the charges were politically motivated and have taken to the streets in their thousands, hurling rocks at security forces, setting cars and buildings alight and ransacking supermarkets and gas stations. Security forces deny firing on protesters or using excessive force. Ba and Ndiaye said he was shot by security forces.
Persons: Elhaji Cisse, Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Djimbala Ba, Cisse braved, Ba, Cheikh Ndiaye, Cisse, Elon Musk, it's, Ndiaye, Macky Sall, Sall, Edward McAllister, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Police, Security, Real, Twitter, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Dakar, DAKAR, Senegal's, Canada, Real Madrid
[1/3] A supporter of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko walks near a burning barricade during clashes with security forces after Sonko was sentenced to prison, in Dakar, Senegal, June 3, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra BensemraDAKAR, June 4 (Reuters) - Senegal's government has cut access to mobile internet services in certain areas because of deadly rioting in which "hateful and subversive" messages have been posted online, it said in a statement on Sunday. It extended the outage on Sunday to include all data on mobile internet devices in certain areas and at certain times, the statement said. "Because of the spread of hateful and subversive messages ... mobile Internet is temporarily suspended at certain hours of the day," the statement said. Reporting by Bate Felix Writing by Edward McAllister Editing by David Holmes and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Macky Sall's, Bate Felix, Edward McAllister, David Holmes, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Amnesty, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Dakar, DAKAR, Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Gabon, Gambia, Democratic Republic of Congo
[1/5] A view of a ransacked supermarket Auchan, after Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 3, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra BensemraDAKAR, June 3 (Reuters) - Streets filled with rubble and ransacked shops greeted residents of some Dakar neighbourhoods on Saturday - fallout from clashes between anti-government protesters and police that have gripped Senegal in recent days. Mobs smashed windows and looted at least two gas station shops overnight in Dakar's Ouakam and Ngor districts, while an Auchan supermarket in densely populated Grand Yoff was torched and ransacked. The unrest is the latest in a string of protests in Senegal, long considered one of West Africa's most stable democracies. The opposition is also concerned that President Macky Sall will try to bypass the two-term limit and run again in February elections.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Khadija, Ndiaye, Macky Sall, Edward McAllister, Bate Felix, Alessandra Prentice, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Dakar, DAKAR, Dakar's, Ouakam, West
[1/5] People put out burning barricades that were set on fire by supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, after Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 1, 2023. Nine people were killed in clashes between riot police and Sonko supporters on Thursday after he was sentenced to two years for corrupting youth. The opposition says the verdict, which could prevent Sonko from running in elections next year, was politically motivated. Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar was the epicentre of Thursday's violence, with protesters setting buses alight and throwing rocks at riot police, who responded by firing tear gas. One student, Alioune Ndiaye, said he planned to travel hundreds of miles to his home in eastern Senegal to escape the violence.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Abdou Karim Fofana, Cheikh, Alioune Ndiaye, Macky Sall, Sall, Mouhamad Diouf, Diouf, Adji Sarr, Cheikh Hann, Bate Felix, Cooper Inveen, Sofia Christensen, Anait, Edward McAllister, Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Army, Security, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Dakar, DAKAR, Senegalese, West, Ouakam
Mr. Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison in a case that his supporters said was politically motivated. Shortly after the verdict, demonstrators brawled with security forces, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people, according to the government. Periodic demonstrations have broken out in Senegal since the arrest of Mr. Sonko in 2021 after a massage parlor employee accused him of rape. But the violence of Thursday brought tensions in Senegal, a largely peaceful country, to a new high. Protesters fought with security forces in multiple neighborhoods of Dakar, and parts of the city’s main university were damaged.
Persons: , Ousmane Sonko, Sonko Organizations: Protesters Locations: Senegal, Dakar, West
The court found Sonko guilty of “corrupting youth,” according to state media, but cleared him of other charges, including rape. Sonko, 48, didn’t attend Thursday’s hearing and remained at his home, but following the verdict he can be arrested any time. Sonko’s political party PASTEF (Patriots of Senegal for Ethics, Work and Fraternity), said the verdict was politically motivated as he is challenging President Macky Sall’s government. Police intervene as supporters of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko protest in Dakar on June 1, 2023. Annika Hammerschlag/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesA demonstrator hurls a stone at police in Dakar on June 1, 2023 during a protest.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, didn’t, Abdou Karim Fofana, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, ” Nteblocks, Macky Sall’s, Annika Hammerschlag, John Wessels, , Sall, who’s Organizations: CNN, Government, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, PASTEF, Patriots, Police, Anadolu Agency, Getty Locations: Senegal’s, Dakar, Senegal
Sonko, 48, was accused of raping a woman who worked in a massage parlour in 2021, when she was 20, and making death threats against her. "With this sentence Sonko cannot be a candidate," said one of his lawyers, Bamba Cisse. University law professor Ndiack Fall said Sonko could demand a retrial if he turns himself in to authorities. But Sall's second term has been particularly turbulent for a country usually viewed as one of West Africa's strongest democracies. Separately, Sonko is appealing against a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Bamba Cisse, Ndiack Fall, Sonko's, Sonko, Macky Sall, Sall, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, Sofia Christensen, Estelle Shirbon, Christina Fincher, Matthew Lewis Organizations: University, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Dakar, West, Dakar Senegal, Senegal
DAKAR, June 1 (Reuters) - Nine people were killed in Senegal on Thursday in clashes between riot police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko after a court sentenced him to two years in jail, casting serious doubt on his chances of running for president next year. The justice ministry said the opposition leader could now be taken to prison at any time. Police remained stationed around his home Dakar as unrest flared in the capital and elsewhere after the verdict. But Sall's second term has been particularly turbulent for a country usually viewed as one of West Africa's strongest democracies. Separately, Sonko is appealing against a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel - an offence he also denies.
Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Bamba Ciss, Sonko's, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, Abdou Karim Fofana, Ndiack Fall, Macky Sall, Sall, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, Diadie Ba, Edward McAllister, Sofia Christensen, Alessandra Prentice, Matthew Lewis, Andrew Heavens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Police, REUTERS, University, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Dakar, Dakar Senegal, West, Lincoln
CNN —Senegal’s opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has been sentenced to two years in prison for “corrupting youth,” according to state media. The conviction means Sonko, who has a large youth following and is the leader of the PASTEF party (Patriots of Senegal for Ethics, Work and Fraternity), will not be eligible to stand for the country’s upcoming 2024 elections. The court cleared Sonko of other charges, including rape, Radio Television Senegalaise said. Sonko previously said that the rape allegation was politically motivated by President Macky Sall’s government. More details soon…
Persons: CNN —, Ousmane Sonko, Senegalaise, Sonko, Macky Sall’s, Organizations: CNN, Patriots, Radio Locations: Senegal
Senegal president promises fair election as tensions simmer
  + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
Sporadic violent protests have broken out across Senegal since opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was detained for alleged rape in 2021. Sonko's supporters say this is a tactic to bar him from the February presidential poll, which the government denies. Sall on Wednesday welcomed members of various parties, religious leaders and civil society to a multi-day national dialogue aimed at easing tensions and fostering dialogue. As a result, neither was able to run for president in 2019. Khalifa Sall attended Wednesday's dialogue and said he hoped the president's potential third term bid was up for discussion.
Persons: Macky Sall, Ousmane Sonko, Sonko's, Sall, Sonko, Anger, Khalifa Sall, Karim Wade, Abdoulaye Wade, Sofia Christensen, Alessandra Prentice, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, William Maclean Organizations: Dakar, Khalifa, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Sonko's, Dakar, Sall
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