Three prominent Senegalese influencers received firm prison sentences for alleged insults against the head of state and violating public decency standards. The court ruled that Mandoumbe Diop, known online as Lamignou Darou, serve three months behind bars, while Magueye Diaw (Oustaz Thiep) and Moustapha Ndiaye (Ndiaye Touba) each received two-month sentences. In addition to incarceration, all three were fined 500,000 West African CFA francs.
The controversy stems from a video recorded during a religious gathering, in which the influencers made inflammatory remarks targeting an unnamed political figure. Their statements included prayers for the individual to suffer paralysis, stroke, or death. Though the president’s name was not explicitly mentioned, the court determined the remarks were directed at President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Political tensions fuel legal fallout
The sentencing unfolds amid a deepening rift between President Faye and former mentor Ousmane Sonko. The president recently formalized the split by establishing his own political party, intensifying public debate over governance and leadership in Senegal. The attorneys for the three influencers strongly dispute the verdict. Lead defense lawyer Me Abdy Nar Ndiaye argued the video was a piece of satirical performance art with no direct reference to the president, condemning the ruling as a dangerous precedent for free speech in the country. An appeal is already underway.
