Senegalese opposition leader released ahead of this month's presidential election

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal's main opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was released late Thursday ahead of presidential elections later this month, sparking jubilant celebrations across the capital.

Mr Sonko is widely seen as the main challenger to President Macky Sall's ruling party. Outside the prison, he was greeted by a crowd of supporters waving flags, chanting chants and holding posters.

Sonko has been imprisoned since July and has been fighting a long legal battle to stand in the March 24 presidential election. Both Sonko and his key ally, Basil Diomai Faye, have been released, Sonko's lawyer Bamba Cisse told The Associated Press.

It was not immediately clear what impact their release would have on the election. With Sonko barred from running, Faye was nominated as the opposition's candidate.

Supporters also gathered at Sonko's home and other locations in Dakar to celebrate. Convoys of supporters drove through the capital late into the night, honking and shouting.

Sonko, who came third in the 2019 presidential election, is popular among young people and his passionate campaign against corruption has resonated in a country facing economic hardship. The war in Ukraine has caused food and energy prices to soar, further straining the economy.

Sall himself ultimately decided not to seek a third term after Sonko's supporters launched months of sometimes deadly protests. The protests have shaken Senegal's image as a pillar of stability in West Africa, which has seen dozens of coups and attempted coups in recent decades.

Sonko's presidential bid faces a long legal battle that began in 2021 when he was accused of rape. He was acquitted of rape charges, but last summer he was found guilty of defrauding young people and sentenced to two years in prison, sparking deadly protests across the United States.

Senegal's highest electoral authority, the Constitutional Council, announced at the time that he was disqualified from voting in January after being found guilty of defamation and facing a possible six-month suspended sentence. did.

Sonko's supporters say his legal problems are part of a government effort to derail his candidacy. His release follows Sall's decree exonerating political prisoners, including hundreds arrested during last year's violent protests.

Presidential candidates began campaigning on Saturday after weeks of violent protests following the postponement of the vote.

Last month, Sall tried to postpone the election weeks before the vote was due to be held on February 25th. His announcement that the vote would be held in 10 months plunged Senegal into uncertainty and drew demonstrators back to the streets. But the Constitutional Council rejected Sall's postponement and ordered the government to set a new date as soon as possible.