In a tumultuous turn of events on Sunday, law enforcement made arrests and deployed tear gas to disperse opposition supporters protesting President Macky Sall’s decision to delay Senegal’s scheduled Feb. 25 elections. The unrest unfolded concurrently with federal lawmakers preparing to deliberate a bill formalizing the election postponement.
Dakar, the capital, became the epicenter of demonstrations as leading opposition figures and presidential candidates, dissatisfied with Saturday’s announcement of the election delay, urged citizens to rally in defense of democracy. The call for public action coincided with West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, advocating for a dialogue to address the political situation.
Amidst the growing protests in Dakar, notable figures such as former Prime Minister Aminata Touré and presidential candidate Anta Babacar Ngom found themselves among those arrested. The government’s response also included cutting off the signal of the private Walf television channel, which was broadcasting the live protest. The global Committee to Protect Journalists took to social media, specifically platform X, condemning the signal cutoff and urging Senegalese authorities to ensure that journalists can carry out their work without hindrance. The developments underscore the intensifying tensions surrounding the political landscape in Senegal.
