Their release had been expected after parliament passed an amnesty law on March 6 as the authorities sought to ease tensions following their thwarted bid to postpone the vote by 10 months. RTS did not give further details, and it was not immediately clear where the pair were after their release. She had rushed to join the crowd when she heard Sonko and Faye were free. Members of Sonko's dissolved Pastef party and other parties formed a coalition and picked Faye as a candidate in November. "It's really regrettable that we're at this point because ... it shows that we're not ready to organise a free and democratic election," Gassama told Reuters ahead of Sonko and Faye's release.

Source: Daily Nation March 15, 2024 06:51 UTC