Hundreds of people have been arrested in Senegal since deadly protests broke out following the conviction of an opposition leader, an official said on Sunday.
Violence broke out in Dakar, Senegal's capital, and other parts of the country on Thursday following the sentencing of Ousmane Sonko, president of the PASTEF-Patriots party to two years in prison for "corrupting youth".
"Around 500 people have been arrested since the protests began. Some of those arrested belong to political parties, but the majority of them are not affiliated to a party", Interior Minister Antoine Diome told reporters in Dakar.
Diome said that relative calm prevailed on Saturday and Sunday and demonstrations had "diminished in intensity".
He accused foreign influence for fuelling the protests, adding that "and that it is the country that is under attack".
On Sunday, the Ministry of Communication said that the government had suspended mobile phone connections as part of measures to prevent the "dissemination of hateful and subversive messages".
Amnesty International condemned the restrictions on social networks.
Calls for peace
Several prominent Senegalese figures have condemned the demonstrations, which have claimed the lives of more than 15 people, and are calling for national unity.
Sadio Mané, captain of the Lions of Teranga and Bayern Munich striker, condemned the riots and called on all the nation's stakeholders to immediately unite their efforts to restore peace.
"Too much blood has already been spilt over the last two years. We must preserve our youth, they are our greatest asset. I love Senegal," wrote striker Sadio Mané on his Instagram account.
On Friday, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc condemned the violence.
'Politically motivated'
Heavy security presence remains visible, in Dakar with most streets now abandoned, local media reported.
Mr Sonko was accused of rape and death threats against Adji Sarr, an employee of a massage parlour in Dakar, in 2020.
On Thursday, the court acquitted Sonko of the rape and death threat charges, but sentenced him to two years imprisonment for corruption of youth, which under Senegal's electoral code prevents him from standing in the presidential elections.
During the trial, he said that the proceedings against him were politically motivated to prevent him from standing in 2024. Sonko finished third in the 2019 election.
