Today Senegal's main opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has been placed under illegal house arrest by heavily armed members of the security forces.
Armoured cars, barricades and heavily armed forces have blocked all access roads to his house at Cite Gorgui in Dakar preventing him from driving his son to school.
This measure has been taken illegally without explanation and without any court order. It follows yesterdays massively successive "giga rally" which brought hundreds of thousands of protesters out to make their voices heard against an unconstitutional third candidature for the sitting president Macky Sall in the 2024 presidential elections.
Visitors have been prevented from accessing Ousmane Sonko's residence and he is not being allowed to leave even to take his son to school in clear breech of the basic legal right to freedom of movement. No statement or explanation has been issued by the security forces.
This move also follows unprovoked and repeated attacks by security forces with tear gas on Sonko's convoy as he returned home after the peaceful "giga rally" yesterday evening.
Sendirect TV reported that the member of parliament Guy Marius Sagna has been denied access to visit Ousmane Sonko. He was quoted as saying;
“I inform you that officially President Ousmane Sonko has been illegally placed under house arrest arbitrarily without the order of a judge. I tried a few minutes ago to gain access to Ousmane Sonko's house by all possible access roads. At each police checkpoint I was told 'you cannot access Ousmane Sonko's house'
Guy went on to say "I strongly denounce the illegal placing of the candidate2024 presidential candidate Ousmane Sonko under illegal and warrantless house arrest by President Macky Sall who is seeking to run for an illegal and illegitimate 3rd term and to also determine which candidates can run against him. This will not pass! “
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