DOZENS of supporters of Senegalese opposition figure Ousmane Sonko have clashed with police in the capital Dakar after a beautician accused the politician of rape.
Sonko finished third in 2019 elections that saw President Macky Sall win a second term in office, and is considered a future presidential contender in the West African state.
But controversy has dogged the politician since early this month, when Senegalese media reported that an employee of a beauty salon had filed rape charges against him.
Sonko denied the charges in a series of Twitter posts late Sunday, saying he had visited the salon for massages to relieve back pain.
The 46-year-old head of the opposition Pastef party added that the rape accusation was an “attempt at political liquidation,” noting that two people had always been present during the massages.
“I explicitly accuse Macky Sall… of fomenting this political plot against me,” he said.
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