In Dakar, thousands of opponents were able to demonstrate on Saturday February 17. This is the first march authorized since the announcement two weeks ago by President Macky Sall of the postponement of the February 25 presidential election. This decision was subsequently invalidated by the Constitutional Council.
Wearing t-shirts in the name of the civil society collective that called for the march, Aar Sunu Election (“let’s protect our election”), or flags in the colors of Senegal, the demonstrators brandished signs on which one could read, between others: “Respect for the electoral calendar”, “No to the constitutional coup”, “Free Senegal”.
The gendarmes patrol the entire area of the march, but, unlike previous demonstrations, which were prohibited, they are not wearing riot gear, journalists from Agence France-Presse noted.
The opposition cried out for a “constitutional coup” following Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the presidential election until December 15. Since the decision on Thursday of the Constitutional Council to invalidate the postponement of the election and to demand that it be held “as soon as possible”, which President Macky Sall accepted, the situation has calmed down , as evidenced by the authorization of this demonstration.
“The watchword today is mobilization,” declares Malick Gakou, presidential candidate, who is participating in the march. “The State of Senegal no longer has the right to make mistakes and it must organize the election in March so that the handover between President Sall and the new president can take place on April 2,” date of the end of the mandate of the Head of State.
Previous demonstrations organized to oppose the postponement and the vote of deputies setting the poll date for December 15, all banned, had given rise to violence and numerous arrests. Three people were killed on February 9 and 10.
African Union calls for free elections
The president of the African Union (AU) commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on Saturday called for “inclusive, free and transparent elections” to be held as soon as possible in Senegal. “The situation in Senegal, a model country in terms of democracy, concerns us to the greatest extent,” declared Moussa Faki Mahamat at the opening of the AU summit.
He welcomed “the position of the Senegalese government to take into high consideration” the decision of the Constitutional Council. He wished “full success to the consultations initiated by the government to decide in a consensual spirit the best path for the organization of inclusive, free and transparent elections” as soon as possible.
The Senegalese head of state pledged on Friday to organize the presidential election “as soon as possible”, respecting the opinion of the Constitutional Council. His decision in early February to postpone the February 25 vote at the last minute until December triggered the worst crisis Senegal had seen in decades.
In power in this West African country since 2012, Mr. Sall said he was postponing the elections due to disputes over the disqualification of potential candidates and fear of a return to the unrest seen in 2021 and 2023. The opposition suspected him of wanting to stay in power through this decision.