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Rights Group Calls for Enquiry Into Crackdown on Riots in Senegal

On Thursday 1 June, political opponent Ousmane 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, Rights group Amnesty International have 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.

Amnesty International spoke to 18 people, including witnesses to the fatal use of force and relatives of the victims. The organisation also documented human rights violations by analysing videos and other documents, such as death certificates and autopsy reports attesting, in particular, to the gunshot wounds that led to the deaths of several demonstrators.

The organisation also noted the presence of armed men dressed in civilian clothes alongside the security forces. These men, holding weapons and violently attacking the demonstrators, were clearly identified in videos circulating widely on social media and which Amnesty International has been able to analyse. At a press conference held on Sunday 4 June, Chief Inspector Ibrahima Diop, Director of Public Security, denied the presence of members of the defence or security forces dressed in civilian clothes and accused elements of "hidden forces" from abroad of having infiltrated the demonstrators.

InFocus

Annika Hammerschlag / VOA

Protesters set roadblocks in Dakar, Senegal, March 30, 2023.

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