Dakar, Mar 15 (AP) Senegal's top opposition leader was expected to address supporters on Friday in his first public speech hours after being released from prison and ahead of the country's March 24 election in which he has been barred from running.

Ousmane Sonko's release late on Thursday night, after months behind bars, triggered a mix of jubilation and political uncertainty on the streets of the capital, Dakar. His supporters are waiting to see whether authorities will reverse their decision and allow him to run in the presidential election.

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A charismatic former tax collector and mayor of the southern city of Ziguinchor, Sonko is seen as as the main challenger to President Macky Sall's ruling party.

His key ally, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was also freed from prison late Thursday, has been named the opposition's presidential candidate. Their release follows Sall's decree to exonerate political prisoners, including hundreds that were arrested in the violent protests last year.

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The protests have rocked Senegal's image as a pillar of stability in West Africa, where dozens of coups and attempted coups have taken place in recent decades.

Dakar was thronged overnight with thousands of people singing and dancing as convoys of supporters drove around tooting horns and young people piled onto motorbikes and trucks.

Fresh graffiti on Dakar streets on Friday morning rallied in support of Sonko. On their way to work, Senegalese speculated about how the turn of events might impact the vote later this month.

However, a presidential spokesman said a court decision barring Sonko from the election could not be appealed.

Sall has tried to defend his decision to postpone the election just weeks before it was to take place on February 25. His announcement that the vote would instead be held 10 months from now plunged Senegal into uncertainty and drew protesters to the streets again.

The country's Constitutional Council subsequently rejected Sall's postponement and ordered the government to set a new date as soon as possible.

Sonko's presidential bid has faced a prolonged legal battle that started when he was accused of rape in 2021. He was acquitted of the charge but was convicted of corrupting youth and sentenced to two years in prison last summer, which ignited deadly protests across Senegal.

In January, he was disqualified from the ballot because he faces a six-month suspended sentence following his conviction for defamation, Senegal's highest election authority, the Constitutional Council, said at the time.

Sonko's supporters maintain his legal troubles are part of a government effort to derail his candidacy. His Patriots of Senegal party was also dissolved last summer.

Senegal's 19 approved candidates have started rallying ahead of the vote, expected to be the most tightly contested race since the country gained independence more than six decades ago. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)