Senegal Blocks Internet Services Over Election Protests.
By Caroline Ameh
In response to mounting unrest, the government of Senegal has suspended internet services in several regions, seeking to quell planned protests against the postponement of the country’s presidential election. Initially slated for February 25, 2024, the election has been rescheduled to December 15, 2024, by President Macky Sall, citing the need for political dialogue and unity.
The decision has sparked outrage among civil society groups, who view it as a violation of the country’s constitution. Malick Diop, a member of a coalition of religious and civil society groups, stated that a planned protest in the capital, Dakar, had been postponed to comply with legal requirements, despite being banned by authorities.
President Sall, who is set to conclude his second term on April 2, 2024, has faced accusations of stifling dissent and shrinking the civic space in Senegal. Over the past four years, more than 800 opposition figures, including prominent politician Ousmane Sonko, have been arrested and jailed on various charges.
The electoral landscape has also been marred by controversy, with the disqualification of opposition candidate Karim Wade, son of a former president, due to his dual citizenship. Additionally, opposition lawmakers’ objections to the election postponement were met with a military intervention, allowing pro-Sall lawmakers to approve the shift.
International organizations have voiced concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Senegal and the potential for military intervention in a country that was once regarded as one of the most stable democracies in West Africa. Senegal’s membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), coupled with recent withdrawals from the regional bloc by Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, underscores broader regional tensions.
President Bola Tinubu currently chairs ECOWAS, facing the challenge of navigating the organization through a period of instability and political uncertainty across the region.
