Senegal Faces Unrest As Riot Police Disperse Protesters Over Postponed Elections.

By Caroline Ameh

Senegal has witnessed heightened tension as riot police deployed teargas to disperse crowds attempting to gather outside the National Assembly on Monday. The protests erupted in response to President Macky Sall’s unexpected decision to postpone the 25 February elections to 25 August, along with the proposed extension of his presidential mandate until the installation of his successor.

Protesters, expressing discontent with the perceived illegality of extending the president’s term, gathered outside parliament, shouting slogans such as “Macky Sall is a dictator.” Confrontations on Sunday led to police chasing demonstrators into side streets, resulting in several arrests.

Mobile internet access was temporarily restricted, citing social media hate messages and threats to public order. Additionally, the private Walf television channel reported being taken off air, claiming its license had been revoked.

Senegal, once regarded as a stronghold of democratic stability in West Africa, now grapples with concerns over its democratic reputation. The African Union, along with regional bodies and Western governments, called for a prompt setting of a new election date.

President Sall justified the election delay by citing a dispute over the candidate list and alleged corruption within the constitutional body handling it. While the opposition Senegalese Democratic party (PDS) supports the postponement, describing it as an “institutional coup,” others view it as an attempt to cling to power indefinitely.

Several candidates, including opposition presidential candidate Khalifa Sall and Aly Ngouille, pledged to challenge the postponement in court. Fears of a repeat of violent protests from the past three years loom, sparked by concerns about Macky Sall seeking a third term and alleged political sidelining of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.

Oxford Economics noted uncertainty in the coming months, expressing doubts about the police’s ability to contain popular anger. The fate of the postponement bill, requiring three-fifths support in the national assembly, remains uncertain, with potential ramifications for Senegal’s political landscape.