MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. Actions by Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and his Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity Party, which have called for the resignation of incumbent President Macky Sall, may be seen as an attempt to stage a coup d’etat, the Russian embassy in Senegal told TASS.
The diplomatic mission noted that Sonko’s party had published a manifesto urging continued resistance aimed at pressuring Sall to step down. "Essentially, this may be seen as a call for a coup d’etat," the embassy noted.
Russian citizens in Senegal have not been requesting assistance from the embassy amid the situation in the West African country. "Russian nationals were informed (about the situation in the country - TASS) and no assistance [from them] has been requested," the diplomatic mission noted.
A source at the embassy, replying to a question as to whether security measures have been beefed up near the mission, noted that Russian diplomats in Senegal were safe and enjoyed enhanced security at the embassy due to disturbances in the country. "The situation in Dakar is completely different; security is guaranteed. All is well around the embassy; it is located downtown, near the Interior Ministry. In this sense, the entire embassy staff is safe," the Russian mission noted.
The embassy also added that the situation in the country remained the same "since the time that a local opposition activist was detained and sentenced." "The problem is that the citizenry, unfortunately, instead of voicing their opinions, immediately reach for the Molotov cocktails and knives as a means of expressing their discontent. Given this, law enforcement has been brought in to restore peace and ensure security," the diplomatic source concluded.
On Thursday, Dakar’s criminal court found 48-year-old Sonko guilty of "corrupting minors," while dismissing charges against him of rape and making death threats. After the verdict was handed down, the opposition politician urged his supporters to take to the streets in protest. Disturbances erupted in Dakar, as well as in the country’s south and coastal cities, continuing for two days. According to official data, 15 people were killed in the clashes. Protest rallies in some areas were accompanied by looting.
Sonko was detained by the police on May 27 in southern Senegal and taken to Dakar, where he was placed under house arrest. A two-year jail sentence has made him ineligible to run in the upcoming presidential election next February. Earlier, he announced that he intended to do so. President Sall has not yet announced any plans to run for re-election.