Politics

Detained Senegalese opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko gets light sentence over libel case

Published

2 years ago

March 31, 2023

Senegalese opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko has received a two-month suspended prison sentence for libel in a case involving the country’s tourism minister, Mame Mbaye Niang.

Sonko’s lawyer, El Hadji Diouf made the revelation on Thursday, adding that the sentence would not prevent him from running in elections next year.

The prominent opposition Senegalese leader is no stranger to legal troubles. He was ordered to face trial for alleged rape in January.

He was later accused of libel for accusing the tourism minister of embezzlement but denied wrongdoing, and previously said the charges were a tactic to eliminate him from the presidential race. The government denies this accusation.

The 48-year-old former tax inspector who came third in Senegal’s presidential election in 2019 has enjoyed a rapid political rise thanks in part to his popularity with young people.

One of his lawyers, Pierre-Olivier Sur, while commenting on the ruling, said the sentence was an effort by authorities to defuse a stand-off with his supporters, who have repeatedly taken to the streets to denounce what they say is a politically motivated campaign.

“It is a verdict of appeasement. The sentence is moderate to the extent that it does not remove his (Sonko’s) civil and political liberties and the right to remain in the political debate.”

His detention has led to sporadic, sometimes violent, demonstrations over the past two years. Thus, forcing authorities to ban most planned protests in Dakar, and dispersed gatherings with tear gas and stun grenades, including the latest on Wednesday.

The demonstration also led to a call by President Macky Sall last week for regional authorities to “preserve public order.”

Pressures have continued to gather over plans by the Senegalese President to run for a third term and Sonko who is believed to still have a presidential ambition is widely considered a threat to Sall’s move.

According to freedomhouse, Senegal is one of Africa’s most stable electoral democracies and has undergone peaceful transfers of power between rival parties since 2000. However, politically motivated prosecutions of opposition leaders and changes to the electoral laws have reduced the competitiveness of the opposition in recent years.

Related Topics:Featured Ousmane Sonko Senegal

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.