Dakar
The Senegalese president, Macky Sall, has joined international appeals for neighbouring Gambia to halt a series of planned executions of death row prisoners, confirming yesterday that two of nine who have already faced the firing squad were Senegalese.
The executions, more of which are planned in coming weeks, have the potential to upset delicate ties between the two poor west African neighbours just as Mr Sall wants Gambian co-operation to end the separatist conflict in Senegal’s Casamance region.
The Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, has vowed to execute all of 40-plus death row inmates by mid-September “to ensure that criminals get what they deserve”, drawing condemnation from the African Union, the EU, Britain and rights groups. – (Reuters)