馃嚫馃嚦SenegalWest Africa
Former presidential advisor Abdoul Aziz Diop summoned by Dakar prosecutor's office over remarks about Ousmane Sonko
via SeneNews1 min read
Abdoul Aziz Diop, former special advisor to President Macky Sall, has been summoned by the Dakar prosecutor's office regarding controversial statements he made about Pastef leader Ousmane Sonko and his supporters. The Special Cybersecurity Division has been instructed to question Diop about remarks he made during a media broadcast. This development follows a public outcry over Diop's comments, which were described as particularly harsh towards Sonko, who is currently the President of the National Assembly, and Pastef activists and sympathizers. Investigators from the Special Cybersecurity Division have been mandated to gather explanations from the former presidential advisor.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
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Must ReadAbdoul Aziz Diop, former special advisor to President Macky Sall, was taken into police custody by the Special Cybersecurity Division DSC following his questioning. The political analyst is being prosecuted for alleged statements contrary to public morals. Diop appeared before investigators in the morning and reportedly admitted to making the statements in question, but expressed neither regret nor apologies. Following the hearing, the public prosecutor at the High Court of Dakar reportedly ordered his detention. The petroleum and environmental engineer is expected to be brought before the prosecutor on Friday for further proceedings. Abdoul Aziz Diop is at the center of a controversy after making statements targeting Ousmane Sonko, president of the Pastef party and also president of the National Assembly, as well as some of his activists. These remarks were considered particularly serious by several observers and led to the initiation of this legal procedure. The investigation is ongoing, and Diop benefits from the presumption of innocence until a final court decision.
Must ReadIn recent months, several West African countries have enacted new laws criminalizing homosexuality, a trend reflecting a broader crackdown on the LGBT+ community across the continent. Only about 20 of Africa's 54 countries do not criminalize homosexuality. Explanations for this rise in anti-homosexuality laws include electoral strategies, rejection of perceived Western values, and a conservative surge. Uganda led the way in 2023 with an anti-LGBT+ law, considered one of the world's most repressive, where "aggravated homosexuality" can carry the death penalty, though it has not been applied for years. In September 2025, Burkina Faso passed a law with penalties up to five years in prison for "homosexual practices." Neighboring Niger followed in February, discreetly enacting a new penal code that criminalizes homosexuality, with sentences up to 20 years for same-sex marriage. In March, Senegal doubled penalties for homosexual relations from five to ten years in prison. Since the beginning of the year, over a hundred people have been arrested in Senegal, and one man was sentenced to six years for "unnatural acts" under the new law. Last month, Ghana's Parliament approved sentences of up to three years for homosexual acts and three to five years for promoting or supporting LGBT+ activities. Even before these laws, the LGBT+ community generally faced taboos and discrimination in these countries, as well as in those where homosexuality is legal, with rare exceptions. Human rights de