According to the country’s foreign ministry, supporters of opposition leader Ousmantione Songo have attacked a number of the country’s diplomatic mission.
Following the fatal rioting that broke out after opposition leader Ousmane Songo, head of the PASTEF-Patriots party, was given a prison sentence last week, Senegal has temporarily closed its embassies and consulates.
The foreign affairs ministry stated on Tuesday that “this precautionary measure follows the series of attacks recently perpetrated against the diplomatic and consular missions of Senegal abroad, in particular in Paris, Bordeaux, Milan, and New York.”
Since violent protests erupted throughout the nation following Sonko’s sentencing on Thursday, at least 16 people have died, several more have been injured, and more than 500 people, including minors and foreign nationals, have been detained, according to state broadcaster RTS.
Sonko, a well-liked politician among young Senegalese, was on trial in 2021 for allegedly raping a 20-year-old massage therapist. He was cleared of charges of rape on Thursday, but he was found guilty of “corruption of the youth,” which is defined as “immoral behavior” toward a person under the age of 21, and is a criminal subject to a maximum sentence of five years in jail and a fine of $6,000. He received a two-year prison sentence.
Since he is running against President Macky Sall, who has been in office since 2012, in the election that will be held the following year, his supporters contend that the verdict was politically motivated. In a statement released on Friday, his party urged Senegalese to “amplify and intensify the constitutional resistance.”
An assault on the Senegalese consulate in Milan was reported on Monday by the Italian public broadcaster Rai News. According to the report, approximately 40 Sonko fans gathered in front of the structure with flags and anti-government signs, blaming France for the country’s economic woes.
The attacks on the Milan consulate, according to the foreign affairs ministry, caused “serious damage.” It also mentioned that equipment needed to make passports and national identification cards was destroyed.
The ministry apologized for any difficulty the brief closure may have caused and promised to resume service as soon as the resources and security permit it.
Senegal’s government had previously blocked social media and mobile internet services to stop the propagation of “hateful messages,” but on Tuesday, after many days of peace, it allowed access to both again.
