Senegal government suspends all football activities for the rest of the month

The Senegalese government on Sunday suspended all sports and cultural events until elections at the end of the month, a day after eight people died in a football stadium disaster.

Legislative elections are due on July 30 and tensions are running high with prominent opposition leader and Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall campaigning from jail.

“All sporting and cultural activities are banned across the national territory for the rest of the electoral campaign,” Seydou Gueye, a spokesman for the prime minister, said.

A judicial inquiry will be opened to investigate the tragedy and determine who was responsible for Saturday’s tragedy, he said.

A wall collapsed in a Dakar stadium during an end of the League Cup final between Stade de Mbour and US Ouakam which was marred by clashes between rival fans. Sixty people were injured, Sports Minister Matar Ba told AFP.

Campaigning for the elections by the ruling coalition of President Macky Sall was also suspended Sunday out of respect for the victims.

On Friday rival supporters of President Sall and Mayor Sall, who are not related, clashed armed with knives in northern Dakar and several people were injured.