The Senegalese Supreme Court, on Friday, ruled against Ousmane Sonko, an opposition leader, in his appeal of a libel conviction, dealing the opposition leader with further setback in his quest to contest in next month’s presidential election, his attorneys said.
Sonko has been involved in a number of legal battles since 2021. His intentions to run for president on February 25 have been impeded by this, and the turmoil has tarnished Senegal’s standing as one of the most stable democracies in West Africa.
Sonko’s appeal against a May conviction that resulted in a six-month suspended sentence for libel was denied by the court during arguments that lasted from Thursday into the early hours of Friday, according to attorneys engaged in the case.
Sonko is not allowed to run for president while such a conviction is pending, as per Senegalese law.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, El Hadji Diouf, said on the radio. “We have just recorded a great victory. The … sentence is upheld, so Ousmane Sonko will not be able to participate in the election.”
However, Sonko’s legal team said the setback was not final, as his lawyer, Cire Cledor Ly, spoke to reporters outside the court building in the capital Dakar saying, “The fight will continue.”
No apparent indication of public protest following the decision was observed.
Sonko’s judicial ordeal began in 2021 when he was charged with rape. This led to nationwide uproar that has since died down and resurfaced periodically over different court rulings.
He asserts that all accusations made against him are driven by politics and rejects any misconduct. This is denied by the administration, which charges Sonko of inciting violence. In July, it dissolved his Pastef party.
Speaking on the latest ruling, Pastef spokesperson El Malick Ndiaye said on national radio, “No one doubts the political aspect of this affair which aims to eliminate the leader of the opposition… Sonko still remains in the race.”
In the contest to succeed President Macky Sall, who is stepping down after two terms, Sonko is considered as a formidable contender after finishing third in Senegal’s 2019 presidential election.
Once a different court in Ziguinchor, a city in the south where Sonko serves as mayor, decided that he be put back on the voter list, Sonko submitted his candidature from jail last month.
Since his arrest in July on accusations of rebellion, he has been struck off. From that time on, he has been detained.
As it reviews applications, the electoral commission plans to release a final list of qualified candidates for president by January 20.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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