IN a startling turn of events, Ousmane Sonko, Senegal’s prominent opposition leader, has fallen into a coma, according to an announcement by his legal team on Tuesday. Sonko, who has been under arrest since July and imprisoned in Dakar’s hospital, had his health deteriorate significantly as a result of his hunger strike, which began in August to protest what he claims is state harassment.
Sonko, aged 49, resumed his hunger strike in mid-October. This time, it was to show solidarity with opponents of President Macky Sall and to demand the release of political prisoners ahead of the upcoming elections in 2024. His health had taken an alarming and worsening turn, as reported by one of his lawyers, Ciré Cledor Ly.
On Monday, Sonko entered a deep coma, leaving his supporters deeply concerned. His spokesperson, El Malick Ndiaye, took to social media to express their plea to the Senegalese authorities to put an end to Sonko’s ‘unjust’ detention.
PASTEF, Sonko’s political party, officially dissolved by the authorities, launched an ‘urgent appeal’ addressed to President Sall and religious authorities. They implored them not to remain indifferent to the dire situation and to use their influence to secure Sonko’s immediate release.
The legal battles surrounding Sonko’s case began when he was arrested in July on charges including fomenting insurrection, criminal association in connection with a terrorist enterprise, and undermining state security, dating back to 2021. While these charges could potentially render him ineligible, a court in his stronghold of Ziguinchor ordered his reinstatement to electoral lists, paving the way for his presidential candidacy.
Sonko and his supporters have consistently accused President Sall of attempting to thwart his candidacy in the 2024 presidential elections. President Sall, who was elected in 2012 and has declared he will not run in the upcoming elections, vehemently denies these allegations.
Over the weekend, presidential candidates from various regions of Senegal decried numerous arrests of their supporters as they gathered political sponsorship, a pivotal step in the run-up to the February 2024 polls.
The situation remains tense, with Sonko’s health crisis adding to the political turmoil in Senegal as the country approaches a crucial election year.
