On Monday, May 29, clashes erupted between groups of young people and the police after the opponent Ousmane Sonko was forcibly brought back to Dakar the day before to appear, Thursday, at the statement of the verdict of his trial for ” rapes” on the person of Adji Sarr. The Cité Keur Gorgui district, where the candidate lives, has been cordoned off.
Protesters also burned tires on one of the capital’s main thoroughfares and set up makeshift roadblocks in adjacent streets. The police responded by throwing stones with tear gas.
The opponent had taken, on Friday, the head of a “people’s convoy” from the town of Zinginchor, of which he is mayor, in the south of the country to reach Dakar. Before being interrupted on Sunday by the police.
In a video posted Monday evening on his Facebook page, he gives his version of events. “ Contrary to what you were led to believe, I decided to interrupt the caravan and return to Dakar “, explains the presidential candidate. ” We were stopped by a police roadblock. They asked me to take out what I had in my bag. I pulled out my personal handgun and his clearance. Once in Dakar, I was kidnapped (…). I learn that the ministry of the interior would have declared that an arsenal of weapons was discovered in a vehicle. He lies or he translates, once again, their will to harm. »