Dakar, June 2 (BNA): Clashes between police and supporters of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko killed nine people, the government announced Friday, while the authorities issued a comprehensive ban on the use of many social media platforms in the wake of the violence. reported the Associated Press (AP).
Interior Minister Antoine Félix Abdallah Dayomi said in a statement that the deaths occurred mainly in the capital, Dakar, and Ziguinchor in the south, where Sonko serves as mayor.
He explained that some of the social media sites used by protesters to incite violence, such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter, have been suspended.
“The state of Senegal has taken all measures to ensure the safety of people and property. We will strengthen security everywhere in the country,” said Dayomi.
Sonko was found guilty Thursday of corrupting youth but acquitted of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and making death threats against her. The court sentenced Sonko to two years in prison. He did not attend his trial in Dakar, and was sentenced in absentia. His lawyer said that the arrest warrant for the politician had not yet been issued.
AOQ