Senegal opposition leader's rape trial postponed after deadly clashes

The rape trial of Senegal's main opposition leader Ousmane Sonko that was due to open in the capital has been postponed until May 23.

Tuesday's delay came after 24 hours of unrest linked to the case against the prominent politician in the West African nation in which the interior ministry says three people died, including a police officer killed by a reversing armoured car.

Police and Sonko's supporters clashed on Monday in the southern city of Ziguinchor where youths threw stones and used tree trunks to barricade streets leading to Sonko’s house.

In the capital, Dakar, around 20 buses were burned in the unrest, which saw protesters hurled stones and firebombs at police, with security forces responding with tear gas.

The judge of the criminal chamber of the Dakar high court postponed Sonko's trial to give lawyers for key witnesses time to go over the court files.

Facing up to 10 years

Sonko is accused of sexually assaulting and making death threats to a woman who worked in a massage parlour in 2021. If convicted, Sonko faces up to 10 years in prison and would be barred from running for president.

He has denied the charges, saying they are a scheme by President Macky Sall to disqualify him from the 2024 presidential election. Sall denies this.

Sonko was not in court when the trial started around 1000 GMT but his alleged victim appeared with her lawyers.

A judge opened the case before almost immediately postponing it to next week, following a debate between the two sides.

Sonko's lawyers said they needed more time to prepare given the complexity of the case, while lawyers for the alleged victim objected.

"For two years we have been ready. Everything is ready. We have to judge this case today and be done with it," her attorney El Hadj Diouf told the court.

Sonko recently received a six-month suspended prison sentence in a defamation case, which could also block a 2024 run for the presidency unless he can successfully appeal the conviction.

The charges against Sonko have sparked sporadic and sometimes violent protests in Senegal over the last two years. The politician enjoys widespread support among the country's youth, who are frustrated with the current government and believe Sall is trying to cling to power.

There was a heavy presence of security forces around Dakar on Tuesday, and the streets were calm after Monday's unrest.

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Source: TRT