Photo : Zohra Bensemra, Reuters
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Zohra Bensemra, Reuters
IN BRIEF
by Jerry Franklin A and Ryan Marcus
Senegal: Restricts the protests by Ousmane Sonko's supporters
On 9 June, BBC reported that the officials in Dakar had banned protests supporting the opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison for corrupting youth. Senegal's penal code describes corruption as promoting the depravity of young people under the age of 21. The two-year jail term sparked violence which claimed the lives of 16 people and injured hundreds last week. Additionally, supporters claimed that the allegations were a plot against him standing for the presidential elections in 2024. ("Senegal bans protests by Ousmane Sonko's supporters," BBC, 9 June 2023)
South Sudan: Intercommunal fighting causes the death of 13 people
On 9 June, Al Jazeera reported that a clash erupted between two ethnic communities in the camp for displaced people located in Malakal, Upper Nile. A man from the Shilluk community was stabbed to death on 8 June which sparked riots. There were more than 50,000 people in the camp. UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) spokesperson Ben Malor stated that 13 people were reported dead. Furthermore, Malor stated that UNMISS and South Sudan's army have increased security around the camp. The violence has been prominent in the areas despite the peace deal in 2018. (“Fighting in South Sudan camp leaves 13 displaced people dead: UN,” Al Jazeera, 9 June 2023)