Senegal’s Ousmane Sonko given 2-month suspended term for libel | News

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Opposition leader found guilty of defaming Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, his lawyer says.

A court is Senegal has handed a two-month suspended prison sentence to leading opposition leader Ousmane Sonko for libel, his lawyer said,

The court in the capital, Dakar, on Thursday found the 48-year-old guilty of defaming Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, a member of President Macky Sall’s party.

The sentence is not expected to prevent him from running in presidential elections next year. There was no immediate statement from Sonko’s team.

A former tax inspector who transitioned to politics and became the leader of the Pastef opposition party, Sonko became even more popular after finishing third in the 2019 presidential election, becoming Sall’s foremost political opponent.

This is a breaking story. More to follow.