One 20-year term, 14 acquittals in Senegal jihadists trial

DAKAR - The alleged leader of a jihadist cell was handed a 20-year term with forced labour on Thursday in Senegal's largest terrorrelated trial, which also saw 14 suspects acquitted.

A Dakar court handed the term to Makhtar Diokhane, described as the ringleader of a group that planned to wage jihadism in West Africa, while Alioune Ndao, who had been accused of acting as coordinator, received a suspended one-month sentence.

The heavily-guarded proceedings, which started on April 9, are believed to have been the first mass prosecution for alleged terror activities in Senegal.

The majority-Muslim West African state has so far escaped major terror attacks.

The 29 suspects, three of them women, were accused of criminal conspiracy related to financing a terror group, money laundering, acts of terrorism and funding terrorism.

Most were arrested in 2015 in Senegal, which prosecutors said was their planned springboard to foment terrorism in neighbouring countries as well.

Diokhane, 31, was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist acts while Ndao was convicted for possessing a weapon without authorisation.

Three other defendants were sentenced to 15 years in jail with forced labour; six were given 10-year terms; and three were given five-year sentences.

Fourteen defendants, including two of Diokhane's wives, were acquitted.

Charges against another defendant were dropped due to irregularities in the proceedings, according to the judge on the case, Samba Kane.

The public prosecutor had requested life sentences against 11 of the accused and a 30year sentence against Ndao, a popular imam from the town of Kaolack in central Senegal, as well as acquittals for eight other defendants.

The group was accused of wanting to set up a jihadist base in Senegal and then extend into neighbouring countries including The Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.