Senegal opposition figures released 10 days before polls
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
đź—ž
NewsTranscript
00:00 Police escorted a convoy of vehicles carrying Ousmane Sanko, Senegal's top opposition leader,
00:06 after he was released from prison.
00:09 Supporters gathered at Sanko's house and other locations in Dakar to celebrate.
00:14 Look, the whole world is here.
00:19 It's for Ousmane Sanko.
00:20 We're here to protest, to denounce the injustice that has been in Senegal for five years, for
00:25 six years.
00:26 Ousmane Sanko!
00:28 Sanko had been in prison since July for allegedly being a threat to national security.
00:36 His supporters maintain that his legal troubles are part of a government effort to derail
00:40 his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election, which will take place in a little more than
00:46 a week.
00:48 Sanko has been barred from running.
00:50 Nonetheless, Sanko is still seen as the main challenger to President Macky Sall's ruling
00:56 party.
00:57 Sanko's ally, Bassirou Dioumae Faye, was also released from prison on Thursday and
01:04 is running in his place.
01:06 Elections were originally scheduled for the end of February.
01:10 Sall tried to postpone them until the end of the year, which set off another wave of
01:15 violent protests until the constitutional court ruled that elections should not be delayed.
01:21 The unrest has shaken Senegal's image as a pillar of stability in West Africa, a region
01:27 that has seen numerous coups and attempted coups in recent decades.
01:30 [BLANK_AUDIO]