Nine dead as protests rock Senegal after Sonko jail sentence

Nine people have died in clashes across Senegal, the interior minister said Friday, after a court sentenced firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to two years in jail.

A conviction for “corrupting youth” may disqualify Sonko, President Macky Sall’s fiercest opponent, from contesting next year’s presidential election.

The case has deeply divided Senegal, sparking sporadic but deadly violence that has battered the country’s image of stability.