Leading Senegalese opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, has been found guilty of libel and handed a two month suspended jail sentence.

Sonko was charged with libel after accusing the country’s Tourism Minister, Mame Mbaye Niang of embezzlement.

Report says protests had broken out across the capital, Dakar, ahead of the trial.

According to the opposition leader’s lawyers, the sentence is not expected to prevent him from running in presidential elections next year.

He had previously denied the charges and said they were a tactic to eliminate him from the race.