Senegal: opponent Sonko in intensive care according to his lawyers and his party

Several government officials interviewed by AFP were careful not to confirm or deny the admission to intensive care of Mr. Sonko, a declared candidate for the 2024 presidential election, imprisoned at the end of July on various charges, including calling for insurrection, criminal conspiracy linked to a terrorist enterprise and attack on state security.

Mr. Sonko, who says he is the subject of a plot to exclude him from the presidential election, began a hunger strike on July 30. The authorities questioned whether he was strictly observing the strike.

One of Mr. Sonko’s lawyers, Me Ciré Clédor Ly, told AFP that he went Thursday afternoon to the intensive care unit of the main hospital in Dakar where he obtained confirmation of the presence of his customer. He preferred not to approach him, but Mr. Sonko “has not recovered his senses since yesterday”he said.

Another lawyer for Mr. Sonko, Me Bamba Cissé, also reported his admission to intensive care.

Mr. Sonko’s Facebook page, still active, reports that he was “admitted to the intensive care unit of the main hospital in Dakar following discomfort” which occurred on Wednesday evening. Officials of his party, Pastef, whose authorities announced the dissolution at the end of July, relayed the message on social networks.