African Opposition Leaders Move to Halt Senegal Democracy Slide
- Karua, Besigye urge Senegal to let Sonko participate in vote
- Senegalese authorities have withheld forms Sonko needs to run
Supporters of Ousmane Sonko in Dakar, Senegal.
Photographer: John Wessels/AFP/Getty ImagesA group of African opposition politicians have banded together to check democratic backsliding on the continent, starting with Senegal where presidential elections next year may exclude the main opposition candidate.
Martha Karua, who ran for vice president in Kenya, and Kizza Besigye, a longtime rival of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, are among key politicians calling for Ousmane Sonko to be allowed to run in Senegal’s Feb. 25 vote after a “fact-finding” mission to Dakar, the capital city.