Frustrations have grown over high youth unemployment and accusations of systemic corruption

This month Youssouf, a Senegalese law student, spent the day hurling stones at gendarmes and dodging plumes of teargas instead of attending class.

The 22-year-old was participating in demonstrations sparked by the sentencing of the opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to two years in prison for “corrupting youth”.

“There is no justice here,” said Youssouf, who declined to give his full name “because we’re living in a dictatorship. I’m crying inside. My heart is bruised.”

The widespread demonstrations were the latest in a cycle of unrest in the west African country stretching back two years. They were notable on two counts: the level of violence inflicted and the involvement of young people, including children who appeared to be well under 10 years old. “We, the youth, will fight until order has been restored,” Youssouf said.

In a region plagued by a growing jihadist insurgency and frequent military coups, Senegal has been praised for its stability and adherence to democratic norms. But frustrations have grown in recent years over factors including high youth unemployment and accusations of systemic corruption.

Most of the anger has been directed towards the Senegalese president, Macky Sall, who, since taking office in 2012, has cracked down on press freedom, jailed journalists and political opponents, and altered the constitution to increase term limits. Many fear he will exploit the amendment to justify a third run for the presidency – a move he has not ruled out.

Alioune Tine, the founder of the Dakar-based thinktank AfrikaJom Center and the former Amnesty International director for west and central Africa, said young people’s involvement in the protests was driven by their poor economic prospects.

Young boys were seeing their elder brothers working hard to earn diplomas only to move back home without job prospects, Tine said. “Education no longer holds value. So when the youth revolt, their little brothers follow,” he said.

Anger over the security forces’ response intensified after footage of children being used as human shields by gendarmes began circulating on social media.

“It’s deeply shocking,” said Tine. “This is the first time we’ve seen images like this in Senegal.”

Unicef issued an emergency alert calling for a ban on child involvement in the protests.

“We’re really troubled,” said Nicolette Moodie, the chief of child protection at Unicef Senegal. “We need everybody to, within their sphere of influence, prioritise the protection of children.”

Sonko had been on trial for allegedly raping a massage parlour employee – an accusation he and his supporters denounced as a ploy to block a presidential run.

He was cleared of the rape charges but his conviction could prevent him from running in the February 2024 presidential elections.

Rioters responded to the verdict by torching cars, ransacking businesses, blocking main thoroughfares and vandalising infrastructure.

In the days that followed, the government suspended mobile internet and restricted access to social media and messaging platforms, which officials said were being used to spread “hateful and subversive messages”.

Government authorities said the violence resulted in 16 deaths and 500 arrests, including that of 63 minors. Amnesty International, however, counted 28 deaths, including three children aged 16-17. All of the victims were killed by gunshot, Amnesty said, except for a police officer who was run over by a police car.

Protesters and rights groups say men in plainclothes fired at protesters and appeared to be fighting alongside police. Videos on social media show the gunmen standing besides security forces.

“This has tarnished Senegal’s image,” said Paulin Maurice Toupane, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Dakar.

Senegalese authorities have denied any collaboration with armed civilians.

At a press conference last week, the prime minister, Amadou Ba, said the government was investigating the causes of death. “The government remains eternally committed to the search for peace and national harmony,” he added.

Though calm has since been restored, Sonko has not been seen or heard from since the verdict on 1 June. He is believed to be in his home, which is surrounded by gendarmes, awaiting arrest.

Such an event is likely to cause widespread chaos. “We’re in a political deadlock,” Tine said. “Only hope can save us now.”