Explainer: Why Have Protesters Hit Senegal’s Streets? 

Senegalese citizens on Monday, February 5, 2024, mobilized nationwide, staging street protests against President Macky Sall’s choice to delay the country’s elections.

A Little Background

On Sunday, February 4th, 2024, clashes erupted as legislators were set to discuss a bill formalizing the postponement of the February 25 election due to the disqualification of two opposition candidates. The bill, if passed, will extend President Macky Sall’s tenure by six months. President Macky Sall’s decision to delay the election was based on a disagreement between the judiciary and parliament regarding the final list of candidates. Despite this dispute, at least two of the 20 candidates expressed their intention to proceed with their campaigns scheduled to start last Sunday. Sall, in annulling the decree initiating the electoral process, cited the disagreement between the judiciary and federal lawmakers over the disqualification process and the alleged dual nationality of some qualified candidates. Opposition leaders contend that the Senegalese leader lacked the authority to postpone the vote, prompting demonstrators to gather in Dakar, where leading opposition figures and presidential candidates rejected Saturday’s announcement and urged citizens to defend democracy, which has led to escalating protests in the country. 

Responses

In response to the protest, law enforcement deployed tear gas on the protesters and made arrests. Notable individuals detained during the protests included former Prime Minister Aminata Toure and Anta Babacar Ngom, a candidate in the postponed election. Meanwhile, ECOWAS, the regional bloc for West Africa, called for dialogue in the wake of the uprising.

The government has also cut off the live broadcast of the protests by private television channel Walf. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-profit based in New York, criticized this action on social media platform X, urging Senegalese authorities to guarantee that “journalists can work without hindrance.” Internet connection in the country was also cut off as citizens have been unable to access the internet. 

What To Know

President Macky Sall’s term is set to end on April 2, 2024. Yet, Senegal’s electoral code mandates an 80-day notice for an election, indicating that the earliest possible date for the vote is the last week of April. The constitution grants the Constitutional Council, Senegal’s highest election authority, the authority to reschedule the election under specific circumstances, including instances of “death, permanent incapacity, or withdrawal” of candidates.