Top Senegalese Opposition Leader Appeals Disqualifying Sentence Days Before Presidential Bid Deadline

Ousmane Sonko's run for president of Senegal appears in jeopardy after an appeals court gave him a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel.
Sonko has under a week to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court and avoid being barred as a candidate under Senegal's electoral code.
The new sentence was harsher than an earlier penalty intended to defuse unrest from Sonko's angry supporters.
If the Supreme Court upholds the verdict, Sonko would be on the hook for a $336,000 fine and damages.
Sonko's lawyers have not yet commented on whether he will launch a final appeal.