Senegalese authorities expanded their crackdown on dissent on Wednesday by blocking access to the social media app TikTok, days after dissolving the major opposition party and imprisoning its head.
A fight for control between President Macky Sall and Pastef party leader Ousmane Sonko has occasionally resulted in violent protests, most notably on Monday, harming Senegal's standing as the most stable democracy in West Africa, as reported by the American news agency, Reuters.
In the past three years, there have been a number of military takeovers in the area, including one last week in Niger. On Monday, Senegal disbanded Pastef and banned access to internet services, claiming dangers to the nation's stability. A similar reason was cited by its minister of communications to ban TikTok.
Sonko was arrested and accused of insurrection planning and other offenses on Saturday. Supporters of the opposition allege Sall with making accusations in an effort to bar Sonko from running for president in the upcoming election after protests throughout the year.
The administration disputes this and holds Sonko and Pastef responsible for inciting violence. In the southern city of Ziguinchor, where Sonko is mayor, opposition rallies on Monday night resulted in the deaths of two people, and on Tuesday, two more were burnt to death when assailants threw gasoline bombs onto a passenger bus.
At least 16 people were killed in riots that erupted across Senegal in June after Sonko was given a two-year prison term for acting immorally toward individuals under the age of 21. He hasn't yet begun his term of service.
Sonko, who maintains his innocence, had asked his supporters to protest in public at the moment. Sall put an end to much uncertainty a month ago when he said he would not run for president a third time in 2018, which opponents had claimed would be against the law. His party has not yet announced its top choice for the position.