hundreds of demonstrators demand a presidential election before April 2

Popular anger does not subside. Several hundred demonstrators demanded, Saturday March 2 in Dakar, the holding of the presidential election before April 2, the date of the end of the mandate of President Macky Sall, during a rally called by civil society and of the opposition.

Senegal has been plunged into a serious political crisis since the postponement on February 3, by the head of state, of the presidential election initially scheduled for February 25. This postponement, denounced as a “constitutional coup” by the opposition, caused a commotion in public opinion and demonstrations which left four dead. The Constitutional Council finally overturned Macky Sall, and the country has since been waiting for a new election date.

Support for opponent Ousmane Sonko

At the call of the Resistance Front, a union of civil society and opposition organizations sealed on Thursday, several hundred people gathered on a vast sandy area in a popular district of the Senegalese capital.

Many of them wore the colors of Senegal and brandished portraits of the opponent Ousmane Sonko, detained since the end of July for “calling for insurrection” and deprived of the presidential election after the invalidation of his candidacy. He gave his support for the election to Bassirou Diomaye Faye, also detained, but whose candidacy was accepted.

“We want an election before April 2 with the 19 candidates selected by the Constitutional Council and for Senegalese democracy to continue to shine”explained Assane Camara, a 27-year-old trader. “Macky Sall dictator”, “Free Sonko”chanted the demonstrators, who repeatedly sang a song in honor of the latter, Sonko namenaaalaa (“We miss you Sonko”in Ouolof).