Senegal: the accused opponent Birame Souleye Diop receives the support of the deputies of his coalition

2023-07-12T14:08:09.251Z

Highlights: MP Birame Souleye Diop was charged on Tuesday (July 11th) for "insulting the head of state" and "acts likely to compromise public peace" The president of the Yewwi group Askan Wi had been placed in custody after remarks targeting the Senegalese and Ivorian presidents. The opposition MP received the support of his parliamentary colleagues on Wednesday. They present their president as a victim of "intolerance and intransigence of a punitive and instrumentalized justice"

MP Birame Souleye Diop was charged on Tuesday (July 11th) by the Senegalese justice system for "insulting the head of state" and "acts likely to compromise public peace". The president of the group...

Senegal: the accused opponent Birame Souleye Diop receives the support of the deputies of his coalition

MP Birame Souleye Diop was charged on Tuesday (July 11th) by the Senegalese justice system for "insulting the head of state" and "acts likely to compromise public peace". The president of the Yewwi group Askan Wi had been placed in custody after remarks targeting the Senegalese and Ivorian presidents, the day after the announcement of non-candidacy of Macky Sall for a third term. The opposition MP received the support of his parliamentary colleagues on Wednesday.

MPs from the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition supported Birame Souleye Diop, who has just been indicted. © Charlotte Idrac / RFI

Text by: RFI Follow

Advertising

In a statement, the deputies of the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition present their president as a victim of "intolerance and intransigence of a punitive and instrumentalized justice". A justice that would exclusively target opponents of President Macky Sall. The elected representatives also deplore the violation of the parliamentary immunity of the deputy mayor, who is also number two of Pastef, the party of Ousmane Sonko. They ask the National Assembly to request the suspension of the prosecution and his detention!

At a press conference last week, Birame Souleye Diop had publicly called on potential candidates of the ruling party not to eat or drink anything at President Macky Sall's house, at the risk of being poisoned and "to do it à la Ouattara," he said before apologizing.

A reference to the 2020 presidential election, when the Ivorian head of state was running for a third term following the sudden death of his designated heir apparent Amadou Gon Coulibaly, victim of heart problems. Even then, rumors of poisoning were relayed on Ivorian social networks and in the streets of Abidjan.

Also listenAfrica Press Review - The Senegalese press echoes the interview with Ousmane Sonko on France 24

Senegal: the accused opponent Birame Souleye Diop receives the support of the deputies of his coalition

Senegal: the accused opponent Birame Souleye Diop receives the support of the deputies of his coalition

Trends 24h

Latest