Overview

• Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has been ordered to be reinstated on the electoral list, potentially allowing him to run in the February 2024 presidential election.
• Sonko, who has been in jail since July, has faced multiple charges including libel and rape, which he denies. His cases have sparked deadly violence across Senegal.
• Sonko's supporters believe the criminal allegations against him are part of a campaign to derail his political aspirations.
• The state has 10 days to appeal the court's decision and Sonko must file his candidacy by December 26.
• Sonko, who finished third in the 2019 presidential election, is popular among the youth and seen as a main opposition challenger.