Senegal's president says he is open to dialogue amid tense situation

KIGALI, Rwanda

Senegalese President Macky Sall said on Wednesday that he is open to dialogue aimed at easing tensions following recent protests over the sentencing of an opposition leader.

Last week, deadly protests broke out in the capital Dakar and some towns after Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to a two-year jail term.

At least 16 people were killed and more than 350 injured in three days of clashes between protesters and security forces on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The protests spread to Senegalese abroad, forcing the government on Tuesday to close all consulates after they were ransacked in several countries.

Senegalese consulates in Milan, Bordeaux, Paris and New York were particularly attacked, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Sall addressed a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, where he “strongly condemned the violence and vandalism against public and private institutions while reiterating his commitment to protecting the nation,” according to a statement.

They were the first comments about last week's events at a public forum.

The head of state “reiterated his openness to dialogue and consultation with all the living forces of the nation in respect of the rule of law and of our common interest to live together in peace, stability and solidarity,” the statement said.

Sall sent out condolences to the nation and the families of the victims, assuring them of the government’s support.

He ordered the opening of immediate and systematic judicial investigations to shed light on those responsible for the mayhem, the statement said.

Sall also saluted the defense and security forces, which he said were able to restore order in the face of the unprecedented violence.

He also particularly reassured the nation that measures have been taken to preserve the stability of the country and the security of people and their property.

Last Thursday, the court acquitted Sonko of rape charges but sentenced him to two years for corrupting the youth, disqualifying him from running in presidential elections due next year.

Sonko, president of the PASTEF-Patriots party, finished third in the 2019 election against President Sall, but he has refused to accept the verdict, claiming that the case is politically motivated to frustrate his presidential bid.

Relative calm returned this week, but fears of continued unrest still persist, particularly after Sonko issued a call for popular resistance.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he discussed the political situation in Senegal with Sall.

“I expressed my condolences for those killed during recent unrest. I reiterated the United States’ support for the Senegalese people and democratic values,” the top US diplomat said on Twitter.