Senegal Sees Political Demonstrations Following Election Delay

Senegalese police cracked down on protests in Dakar following President Macky Sall’s announcement of the indefinite postponement of the presidential election scheduled for February 25. 

Former Prime Minister Aminata Toure, an opposition figure, has been arrested, characterizing the move as an “unprecedented democratic regression.”

International organizations such as the European Union expressed concerns that the postponement introduces a “period of uncertainty,” while the United States called for a prompt rescheduling of free elections.

In a televised address to the nation, Sall announced the cancellation of the relevant electoral law, citing a dispute over the candidate list. He signed a decree abolishing a November 2023 measure that had initially set the election date but did not provide a new date. 

Last month, Senegal’s Constitutional Council excluded several prominent opposition members from the list of candidates.