Tear gas and clashes as Senegal braces for protests and election season.

Senegal's security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse opposition supporters who attempted to gather in the capital Dakar for the first of three days of planned opposition protests over a libel trial of one of its leaders. Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko is due in court on Thursday for a hearing in a libel case brought by the tourism minister, who alleged that Sonko had accused him of embezzlement without proof. If found guilty, Sonko could be disqualified as a candidate for the February 2024 presidential election.