The European Union called on Friday February 16 “all parties” in Senegal to respect the ruling of the Constitutional Council which invalidated the day before the decision of the Head of State, Macky Sall, to postpone the presidential election, scheduled for the end FEBRUARY.
The European Union “calls on all parties to respect [this] decision and to do everything possible to organize the elections according to the Council’s decision, that is to say as soon as possible”, declared Nabila Massrali, door – spokesperson for the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, adding that the Union denounces “an unnecessary and disproportionate use of force against demonstrations and restrictions on civic space”.
She recalled that the Union had already expressed its concerns about the announcement of the postponement to December 15, 2024 of the presidential election, scheduled for February 25. This “decision to postpone has had a significant impact on the stability and social cohesion of the country”, underlined the spokesperson during a press briefing.
More than 130 inmates released
While Senegal is still hanging on the reaction of the Head of State, Macky Sall, to the resounding veto of the Constitutional Council, and the country is waiting to know when it will vote and under what conditions, one hundred and thirty-four members of the The opposition and civil society who were detained in Senegal have been released since Thursday. Ninety others were to be sent during the day on Friday, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Souleymane Djim, member of the Collective of Families of Political Detainees, affirmed that “156 detainees were released” Thursday “and 500 in total must be” soon. “International pressure is causing President Macky Sall to order releases,” he said.
One of the main opposition figures, Ousmane Sonko, but also his second at the head of the Pastef party – dissolved –, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, one of the favorites in the presidential election, have been detained since 2023. No information is available status for the time of their possible release.
Three dead during repressed demonstrations
The postponement of the vote caused clashes which left three people dead during repressed demonstrations, which also gave rise to dozens of arrests. Deaths “deplored” by the European Union, as well as “the large number of injuries and arrests,” said Ms. Massrali.
“Like the United Nations, the European Union is calling for investigations and denouncing unnecessary and disproportionate use of force against protests and restrictions on civic space. We therefore call for all light to be shed on the conditions of death of these people and for the authorities to guarantee fundamental freedoms, including the freedom to demonstrate peacefully,” she concluded.
No third term
New calls for demonstrations have been launched for Friday afternoon and Saturday. The opposition and civil society have cried out for a “constitutional coup d’état”, the first accusing the presidential camp of trying to prevent the defeat of its candidate, Prime Minister Amadou Ba, and suspecting Mr. Sall of wanting to remain in power. power.
The president, for his part, swore that he would not run for a third term, justifying the postponement by the fear of a challenge to the vote likely to provoke new outbursts of violence, after those of 2021 and 2023.
