Senegal's Ousmane Sonko has been hospitalized after being on a hunger strike for one week.

 

The now-dissolved party of the opposition leader has stated that he was admitted for emergency care at a hospital in downtown Dakar.

According to his supporters, Ousmane Sonko, a Senegalese opposition leader who has been on a hunger strike to protest against his detention, has been admitted to the Main Hospital in Senegal's capital, Dakar. This information was conveyed in a statement released by his now-dissolved party, the Patriots of Senegal (PASTEF), on Sunday.

Sonko, aged 49, was arrested on July 28 and is facing charges of plotting an insurrection, undermining state security, and criminal association with a terrorist organization.

He commenced his hunger strike just two days after his arrest.

PASTEF, his now-dissolved party, stated that Sonko has been admitted for emergency care and held the authorities "responsible" for his current condition.

"Prior to his imprisonment, he was in good health and had no known illnesses," the statement added.

Cire Cledor Ly, one of Sonko's lawyers, confirmed the hospitalization to the AFP news agency but refrained from providing details about his condition.

As of now, there has been no immediate comment from the Senegalese government.

Ousmane Sonko, who secured the third position in the presidential election in the West African country in 2019, enjoys popularity among the country's youth.

Following his arrest and the dissolution of his party, Dakar witnessed violent protests last week. According to AFP, at least two people lost their lives during the unrest, and several others sustained injuries.

The actions mentioned above took place several weeks after a judge found Sonko guilty in a different case, charging him with corrupting youth and sentencing him to two years in prison. The verdict led to clashes, resulting in 16 fatalities according to the government, 24 according to Amnesty International, and 30 according to PASTEF.

Sonko's supporters argue that the charges brought against him are part of a government scheme to thwart his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.

In a separate development, Sonko's lawyer, Juan Branco, was arrested in Mauritania, extradited to Senegal, and is currently detained in a prison in Dakar, according to officials.

Branco's lawyer, Robin Bindard, stated on Sunday that his client is being held on allegations of disseminating false information, conspiring against the state, and other charges.

"The mission of a lawyer is sacred, and you cannot criticize a lawyer for defending his client," Bindard asserted.