Guinea and Senegal engulfed in civil unrest, leaving scores dead, injured

Pro-democracy activists in Guinea have announced more peaceful demonstrations against the military government to go ahead as planned on Thursday (11 May), while protesters in Senegal have also taken to the streets in capital Dakar against what they call an increasingly repressive state.
New protests in Guinea are planned by the anti-government movement after its leaders said in a statement that at least seven people were killed and 32 others suffered gunshot wounds during recent demonstrations in the capital, Conakry, and other cities. Police in riot gear cracked down on protestors who threw rocks and burned tires on Wednesday during the latest in a series of protests against the military government, which seized power in 2021. The military rulers have not responded to the allegations that 56 arrests were made during what was reportedly a peaceful demonstration. Guinea’s military junta is one of several in West Africa that took power in a string of coups since 2020 and are now dragging their feet on promises of elections.
Meanwhile, people in Senegal took to the streets in Dakar on Tuesday (9 May) to protest against what they call an increasingly repressive state. The city witnessed violent protests on Tuesday (9 May) night when schoolchildren demanding a high school to be built instead of a police station were confronted by police in full gear, killing one teenager and wounding 30 people. The protest was staged hours after a call by Senegalese opposition figure Ousmane Sonko for civil disobedience by his supporters following a court ruling that threatens his candidacy in upcoming presidential elections. Sonko also called on supporters to attend an opposition rally in Dakar scheduled for Friday.