Two opposition parliamentarians in Senegal have been arrested after assaulting a pregnant deputy during a session in Parliament, amid a brawl that broke out during a debate on the budget, which was being televised live.
Massata Samb, one of the MPs, slapped MP Amy Ndiaye Gniby, who then threw a chair at him to repel the assault. Mamadou Niang then kicked her in the stomach after she had fallen to the ground.
As a result, Samb and Niang, of Yewwi Askan Wi (Free the People), are in custody by order of the Criminal Investigations Division (DIC), according to the Senegalese state news agency APS. Both are charged with assault.
Political tensions in Senegal have been running high since 2021 following the arrest of main opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on charges of rape and death threats. His arrest led to anti-government protests that left at least 13 people dead and hundreds injured.
The country held on July 31 a legislative elections in which the government coalition lost its absolute majority by obtaining 82 of the 165 seats in Parliament, amid opposition criticism against Sall.
