Senegal dissolves opposition party, restricts internet ahead of next year’s presidential election

By ZANE IRWIN and BABACAR DIONE
Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s government has dissolved a major opposition party and restricted internet service hours after the party’s popular president and opposition leader said a judge ordered his arrest. The Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity party’s dissolution was criticized by former Prime Minister Aminata Touré as an “unprecedented setback” in the West African nation’s democratic history. It further raised concerns about next year’s presidential election in Senegal, long considered a bastion of democracy and a regional leader in diplomacy. The opposition party has “frequently called on its supporters to take part in insurrectionary movements,” Antoine Félix Diome, Senegal’s interior minister, said in a statement.