Senegal's Sonko refuses to co-operate with court without safety guarantees

Senegalese opposition figure, Ousmane Sonko, said on Monday that he will refuse to cooperate with the judicial authorities if they cannot guarantee his safety.

The announcement comes on the eve of Sonko's appeal in a defamation case.

"This is no longer justice, it is judicial banditry. And this is why I have decided, still within the framework of my campaign of civic disobedience, to no longer collaborate with this justice", announced the Senegalese political opponent.

Speaking in front of the press, Sonko appeared to refer to claims of an assassination attempt by the police back in March during his forced transfer to the Dakar court during initial defamation proceedings.

"(Speaking to the judges, Ed.) By hiding behind your robes and behind a false interpretation of the law, you are attacking a man who has done nothing to you. You are attacking his family. You are doing harm and you think that you can go on with your life as if nothing had happened. You are mistaken. All those who have participated in these plots, I swear to God, in one way or another will be held accountable", promised the opposition figure.

Ousmane Sonko, who came third in the 2019 presidential elections, claims he is the victim of a plot by President Macky Sall to stop him from running in the 2024 elections.