Senegal temporarily shuts consulates abroad following attacks in several cities

FILE PHOTO: Security forces clash with supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko after Sonko was sentenced to prison, in Dakar, Senegal, June 3, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

DAKAR (Reuters) -Senegal has temporarily closed its consulates abroad following attacks on diplomatic missions in Bordeaux, Milan, Paris and New York among others, the foreign affairs ministry said on Tuesday.

The closures were announced in the wake of deadly unrest that broke out after a leading opposition figure, Ousmane Sonko, was handed a two-year jail sentence last week that is likely to prevent him from running for president in elections next year.