Cessation of Violence in Senegal Called by AU Commission

Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, advocated for the discontinuation of violent activities within Senegal.

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Nine Senegalese Die While Protesting for the Release of Sonko

Faki extended an invitation to Senegalese stakeholders to engage in dialogue with the aim of resolving their differences.

The chairperson of the AU Commission issued a statement urging the authorities of Senegal to uphold the rights of citizens to freely express themselves, whilst emphasizing the need for Senegalese citizens to adhere to the nation's legal framework.

"The chairperson of the AU Commission is closely following the events in Senegal, which have caused deaths. The chairperson strongly condemns such violence and calls for their immediate cessation," the released statement said.

According to recent reports disclosed by Senegalese authorities, violent protests have resulted in the death of nine individuals, predominantly occurring in the capital city of Dakar, and southern city of Ziguinchor, after the conviction of the opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.

On Thursday evening, Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome said to the press that the government "has decided to temporarily suspend the use of certain digital applications through which calls for violence and hatred are made."

The Criminal Chamber of the Dakar High Court on Thursday morning sentenced Sonko to two years in prison for "corrupting youth."