28 December 2011
Barthelemy Dias, a leading member of Senegal’s socialist opposition involved in clashes last week in which a man was killed, was detained and charged with homicide Wednesday, his lawyers told AFP.
Dias, who supporters say, was defending himself from an attack by backers of President Abdoulaye Wade, was also charged with assault and illegal possession of a firearm over the incident in Dakar on December 22.
Dias’ bodyguard has also been detained and charged with complicity in the killing, said Boussa Bocar Thiam, one of the two men’s lawyers.
The socialist party said the clashes happened after five vehicles packed with supporters of Wade converged on a local council building in Dakar.
Earlier Wednesday, police were also holding two people suspected of having organised the attack on the building, one police source told AFP. But it was not clear if they too had been charged.
One person died and three people were wounded in the clashes, said police.
But the socialist party has filed a complaint alleging that the attack was an attempt on Dias’ life. Dias himself has told journalists that he fired in self-defence.
According to the police account of the violence, two rival groups confronted each other outside the town hall and the situation ended in shots being fired.
Dias is a senior figure in the country’s opposition socialist party: as well as his position as mayor, he also heads up the party’s youth wing.
ANP/AFP
AllAfrica – All the Time