Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and his right-hand presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye were released from prison in Dakar last night, ten days before elections scheduled in the West African country, sparking jubilant scenes in Senegal's capital.
Sonko, the main protagonist of a bloody standoff with the Senegalese power since 2021, was disqualified from the presidential elections in January by the Constitutional Council.
His camp, with his consent, nominated Faye as their candidate to replace him.
Faye's candidacy is one of 19 selected for the March 24 ballot.
The release from Cape Manuel prison, yet another turning point in the Sonko saga, injects a new reagent with unknown effects into Senegal's current election campaign.
The driving force commonly attributed to Sonko and his popularity among young people will likely influence the dynamics.
Even before his release, news of which spread like wildfire on social networks, crowds of Dakar residents took to the streets to celebrate, sing and dance.
Cars and pedestrians waving Senegalese flags took control of the access road to the Cap Manuel penitentiary, south of the capital, where the two opponents were detained.
"Gnoune Sonkolanou beug" ("We love Sonko"), their supporters chanted in Ouolof, near the prison.
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