Senegal Opposition Chief Sonko Charged With Plotting Riot

DAKAR (Reuters) – Senegal’s opposition chief Ousmane Sonko was charged on Saturday with plotting an rebel, felony conspiracy and different offenses, two months after his trial for a separate rape cost sparked lethal riots throughout the nation.

Sonko, 49, was handed a two-year jail sentence on June 1 for immoral habits in direction of people youthful than 21, resulting in protests during which not less than 16 individuals had been killed.

His followers have been angered by the prospect that his conviction may bar him from standing in subsequent yr’s presidential election, although legal professionals say the difficulty is ambiguous.

Sonko was detained on Friday following a scuffle with safety forces stationed outdoors his residence, who he claimed had been filming him with out permission. He stays in custody, state prosecutors mentioned on Saturday.

Taking part in movies from a laptop computer of Sonko making allegedly inciteful speeches, Senegal’s state prosecutor Abdou Karim Diop advised a crowded press convention that Sonko could be freshly charged with calling for rebel, plotting in opposition to the state and felony conspiracy, amongst different costs.

Neither Sonko’s Friday arrest nor the brand new costs are linked to his conviction in June. He has not been requested to plead within the new case.

Sonko denies wrongdoing. His authorized workforce couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.

(Reporting by Ngouda Dione; Writing by Cooper Inveen; Modifying by Bate Felix)

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