Harare — Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was admitted to the hospital after going on a hunger strike to protest his incarceration, Al Jazeera reports.

According to a press release from his party dissolved by the government, the Patriots of Senegal (PASTEF), Sonko was admitted for emergency care on August 6 in Dakar and the government is "responsible" for his situation.

"Prior to his imprisonment, Sonko was in good health and had no known illnesses," PASTEF reportedly said.

The political future of the presidential challenger to the incumbent President Macky Sall, was thrown into doubt when he was detained on July 28, accused of plotting an uprising, undermining state security, and engaging in criminal activity with a terrorist organization.

He started his hunger strike two days after his arrest -  the third this year.

In May 2023, Sonko was given a suspended six-month sentence in his appeal against a defamation and public insult conviction in the case between him and Minister Mame Mbaye Niang.

On June 1, 2023, Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison for "corrupting young people". Spontaneous and violent demonstrations broke out that same day in a number of towns, including Dakar, Ziguinchor and Kaolack.

After collecting testimonies and documenting the deaths that took place during the demonstrations in Senegal, Amnesty International called on the Senegalese authorities to immediately carry out an independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of at least 23 people, including three children, during the violent demonstrations on 1 and 2 June 2023, and to shed light on the presence of armed civilian personnel operating alongside the security forces.

On July 3, Sall said that he will not run for a third term in 2024 elections, putting an end to months of speculation that he would seek re-election despite a two-term limit. The political atmosphere improved as a result of Sall's decision after a year of sporadic unrest and violent protests in the typically peaceful West African country.

Sonko says the country would face "indescribable chaos" if he is unable to contest next year's presidential election, according to France24.

Sall, elected president in 2012 and 2019, is constitutionally limited to two terms. Despite this, some of his supporters argue that the 2016 Constitutional change reset his term count, positioning him to run in the 2024 presidential polls.