Olukokun Yusuf
On 5th June 2023, a popular Twitter page with close to a million followers, @AfricaFactsZone made a post stating that 16 people have died following the protest in Senegal against President Sall’s unconstitutional third-term bid. The post also notes that opposition leader; Ousmane Sonko, has also been charged by a Senegalese court and sentenced to prison while mobile internet access has also been blocked by the Senegalese government.
Have 16 people died from the ongoing civil unrest in Senegal?
VERIFICATION
News reports across a number of platforms and credible news organisations have published the turn of events after protest broke out on June 1st in Senegal.
For instance, CNN reported that “At least 16 people have died and hundreds arrested since violent protests broke out on Thursday in Senegal, following the sentencing of popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko”.
Also, Reuters latest report on the unrest which was published yesterday, June 8 stated that at least 16 people have died and hundreds were injured.
VERDICT
The claim that 16 people have died following the protest in Senegal after Sonko’s sentencing is TRUE.
CLAIM 2
The opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko was charged and sentenced to two years in prison for “corrupting the youth.”
VERIFICATION
The 48-year-old opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko who enjoys good support from Senegalese youth was accused of raping a woman who worked in a beauty salon in 2021 and making death threats against her.
On June 1, Sonko was acquitted of rape charges and issuing death threats, but found guilty of a separate criminal offence.
Africanews reported that: “On Thursday, a criminal court in Dakar sentenced Senegalese opposition politician Ousmane Sonko, a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, to two years’ imprisonment on a charge of “corrupting young people”, while acquitting him of rape.”
APnews also reported that the opposition’s main leader, Ousmane Sonko was charged with corrupting the youth but was acquitted on the charges of rape.
However, a CNN report on the ongoing unrest clarified that: “Sonko, who enjoys widespread support among Senegalese youth, was cleared of a rape charge but found guilty of corrupting young people, which according to the country’s penal code is “immoral behaviour” towards a person younger than 21.
VERDICT
The claim that Ousmane Sonko was charged with “corrupting the youth” and that he has also been sentenced to two years in prison is TRUE.
CLAIM 3
Internet access was blocked in Senegal during the civil unrest
VERIFICATION
According to multiple reports, mobile internet access was blocked in Senegal. to reduce the dissemination of sensitive and hateful messages in places that are witnessing public disorder.
Reuters reported that: Senegal’s government has cut access to mobile internet services in certain areas because of deadly rioting in which “hateful and subversive” messages have been posted online, it said in a statement on Sunday.”. The internet shutdown was also confirmed in CNN’s report of the incident.
VERDICT
The claim that Internet access was blocked in Senegal during the civil unrest is TRUE.
CONCLUSION
The claims made by AfricaFactZone about the civil unrest in Senegal —on the number of deaths recorded, the charges against Ousmane Sonko, and the internet shutdown by the Senegalese government— are TRUE.
