Senegal President Macky Sall says he won’t seek a third term in office

Senegal’s President Macky Sall has confirmed that he is not seeking a third term in office as the country heads to the polls in 2024. 

It was rumoured that he would try to extend his grip on power and that has fuelled unrest several times since 2021, with dozens killed. But in a televised address President Sall said “The 2019 term was my second and last term”.

The opposition and legal experts say President Sall decided to run again because he would have violated the constitution. In his address on Monday, 61-year-old President Sall said: 

“There has been much speculation and commentary on my eventual candidature in this election. My decision, carefully considered, is not to run as a candidate in the upcoming election. Senegal is more than me, and is full of capable leaders for the country’s development,” he added

President Sall has been in office since 2012. In 2016, he changed the constitution to set a two-term presidential limit, but his supporters argued that he could still run for a third term.

Credit: BBC