Senegal will on Thursday mark a day of national mourning for victims of the recent violent protests that left at least eight young people dead.

The protests were sparked by the arrest of an opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, accused of rape and were the most serious seen in several years.

In a statement on Wednesday night, President Macky Sall also announced that a health emergency declaration imposed over the coronavirus pandemic will be lifted on 19 March.

A nightly curfew enacted because of the pandemic has been blamed for stifling the informal economy.

The protests were also fuelled by economic inequalities and concerns over young people's standard of living.