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DAKAR, May 30 (AP) Police fired tear gas near the residence of Senegal’s main opposition leader on Monday, and demonstrators torched cars as tensions rose in the capital and a court was expected to decide charges against the politician. judgment.
Ousmane Sonko was on trial for raping and threatening a woman who worked in a massage parlor and could face up to 10 years in prison. If convicted, he would be barred from running in next year’s presidential election. Sonko and his supporters insist his legal troubles are part of an attempt by President McKee Sall’s government to undermine his candidacy.
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The clashes came a day after police stopped Sonko’s “freedom caravan” from his hometown of Ziguinchor, where he is mayor in the south, to the capital Dakar, where he Forced to move into his home in the city.
Interior Minister Antoine Felix Diome said Sonko was not arrested but was found breaking the law — taking part in an unauthorized caravan — and was taken home.
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On Monday, Sonko supporters were denied access to his home and threw stones at police who blocked the road. At least eight cars were burned throughout the city due to clashes.
On the eve of the trial, the demonstrations had turned violent. Last week, clashes between police and Sonko supporters in the southern city of Korda left one dead and several injured.
The Senegalese government said it would resolutely oppose any attempt to disrupt public order. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the body of content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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