Senegalese President Macky Sall has declared a day of national mourning in memory of those killed in recent unrest sparked by the arrest of an opposition politician accused of rape. Sall also announced lifting of COVID-19 restrictions that had angered people.
The health emergency declaration due to the coronavirus pandemic, which led to restrictions, including a curfew in the capital Dakar, would be lifted at midnight on March 19, the president said in a statement on Wednesday.
The recent protests also railed against the COVID-19 measures. Senegal has recorded more than 36,000 coronavirus cases and 935 deaths.
At least five people were killed in recent clashes between opposition supporters and security forces sparked by the March 3 arrest of Ousmane Sonko, a government critic popular with the country’s youth.
Senegal’s opposition has called for a fresh rally in the capital Dakar on Saturday, days after the arrest of a rival to the president sparked the West African nation’s worst unrest in years.
At least five people were killed in clashes between opposition supporters and security forces, which were sparked on Wednesday last week by the arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, a government critic popular with young people.
The violence, which the opposition has said claimed 11 lives, came as a shock in a country that is usually seen as a haven of stability in an otherwise volatile region.
Tensions only began
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