Thierno Bocoum and Babacar Ba detained during protest outside National Assembly
via SeneNews1 min read
Thierno Bocoum, president of the AGIR movement, and Babacar Ba, coordinator of the Forum du Justiciable, were taken into police custody after being arrested during a demonstration outside the National Assembly. The protest was organized against a proposed constitutional revision bill. Both individuals were among several political leaders and civil society actors participating in the gathering. Senegal7 reported their detention, but no official communication from authorities has clarified the exact circumstances of their arrests or potential legal actions.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
As the World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Senegal and Belgium approaches, Lions coach Pape Bouna Thiaw must decide whether to start Ibrahim Mbaye or Iliman Ndiaye. Both players have identical statistics in the tournament, with two goals and two assists each, but their contributions have primarily come in the second half. Ibrahim Mbaye, an 18-year-old winger, started against Iraq but did not have the expected offensive impact, with his opponent Merchas Doski limiting his movement. Mbaye has often been more effective as a substitute, including during the Africa Cup of Nations and the first World Cup match against France. Iliman Ndiaye, who replaced Mbaye against Iraq, immediately made an impact with an assist and a goal, strengthening his case for a starting position. Thiaw's decision will significantly affect the team's offensive strategy alongside Ismaïla Sarr and Sadio Mané. A third option is Assane Diao, who had a convincing performance as a substitute against Iraq. Senegal will face Belgium on Wednesday in the round of 16, aiming to advance to the quarterfinals.
FIFA has appointed Honduran referee Saíd Martínez to officiate the 2026 World Cup round of 16 match between Belgium and Senegal. The game is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:00 PM GMT in Seattle. Martínez will be assisted by his compatriots Walter López and Christian Ramírez. Colombian Andrés Rojas will serve as the fourth official, with fellow Colombian Alexander Guzmán handling Video Assistant Referee VAR duties. This will be the 34-year-old Martínez's third match of the tournament, having previously officiated Qatar vs. Switzerland 0-0 and England vs. Ghana 1-1. It marks his first official international competition match involving Senegal.
Must ReadOusmane Sonko, President of the National Assembly, delivered a critical address regarding the constitutional revision bill, targeting President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Sonko stated that the reform, which he presented as the culmination of over ten years of political commitments, should not be undermined by the will of a single individual. He asserted that the Constitution does not belong to Bassirou Diomaye Faye and criticized the head of state for seeking to modify provisions he had previously supported while in opposition. These provisions include the mandatory declaration of assets at the end of a presidential term and the prohibition against the President leading a political party. Sonko argued that this approach deviates from the commitments Pastef has upheld since 2014 and accused the President of selectively retaining only favorable provisions. Despite his strong criticisms, Sonko urged Bassirou Diomaye Faye to promulgate the law adopted by the deputies, stating that the National Assembly's qualified majority vote is sufficient to validate the constitutional revision without a referendum. Sonko questioned what had changed with the President and expressed hope that the head of state would return to his political essence and honor commitments made to the Senegalese people.