Senegal protests: 9 dead after sentencing of opposition leader

A student walks past burned cars as he leaves the Cheikh Anta Diop University after authorities ordered its closure until further notice, in Dakar, Senegal, June 2, 2023. Clashes between police and supporters of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko left nine people dead, the government said on Friday. (PHOTO / AP)

DAKAR – Nine people were killed during protests in Senegal, mainly in the capital of Dakar and the southern city of Ziguinchor, that broke out following the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, authorities said.

Addressing the press on Thursday evening, Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome said 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”.