thousands of opponents were able to demonstrate peacefully in the streets of Dakar

Signs of calm, after two weeks of tension. Thousands of opponents were able to demonstrate peacefully in Dakar, Saturday February 17, after the crisis caused by the postponement of the presidential election, desired by the ruling President Macky Sall then invalidated by the Constitutional Council. Unlike previous demonstrations, which were prohibited, the gendarmes patrolled the area of ​​the march without riot gear.

Wearing black T-shirts marked with the name of the citizen collective that called for the march, “Aar Sunu Election” (“Let’s protect our election”), or draped in the colors of Senegal, the demonstrators brandished signs on which we could read “Respect for the electoral calendar”, “No to the constitutional coup d’état”, “Free Senegal”. Previous demonstrations organized to oppose the postponement had all been banned. They also gave rise to violence, numerous arrests and caused the death of three people on February 9.

“The watchword today is mobilization”declares Malick Gakou, presidential candidate who is participating in the march. “The State of Senegal no longer has the right to make mistakes and it must organize the election in March so that the handover between President Sall and the new president can take place on April 2”, date of the end of the mandate of the Head of State. Although absent, Ousmane Sonko, imprisoned opposition leader, very popular with young people, was omnipresent among the marchers on Saturday, who sang the famous song “Sonko namenaaalaa” (“We miss you Sonko”).