Senegal's Supreme Court Blocks Opposition Leader Sonko from 2024 Presidential Race

Sonko, recently returned to jail after a hunger strike, faces retrial as regional court dismisses claims of rights violation.

Senegal's Supreme Court has overturned a decision that would have reinstated opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to the country's voter rolls, barring him from running in the February 2024 elections.
Sonko, who was recently returned to a Dakar jail after being hospitalized for several weeks amid a hunger strike, has faced numerous charges over the past two years, including libel and rape, all of which he denies.
Sonko's political party was formally dissolved by Senegalese authorities earlier this year, and he was struck off the electoral roll.
The Court of Justice of the regional bloc ECOWAS dismissed Sonko's claims that his rights had been violated.
Sonko's supporters maintain that the charges against him are politically motivated, aimed at derailing his candidacy in the upcoming election.