Senegal’s Sall Moots Amnesty Law That May Free Opponents
- Unclear if opposition leader Ousmane Sonko will be released
- President says he wants elections held as soon as possible
Macky Sall
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Senegalese President Macky Sall will ask lawmakers to consider passing an amnesty bill, a measure that may potentially lead to the release of the country’s main opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who’s been in detention for the past seven months for fueling deadly protests.
The draft law, which aims to free political protesters arrested since 2021, will be submitted to parliament on Wednesday, Sall said at the opening of a two-day national dialog on Monday. The talks were convened to try and bring an end to a political crisis that was precipitated by Sall calling off Feb. 25 elections.