Thousands of opponents were able to demonstrate peacefully on Saturday in Dakar, a sign of appeasement in Senegal after two weeks of tensions linked to the postponement of the presidential election on February 25, then invalidated by the Constitutional Council. 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 one could read in particular : “Respect for the electoral calendar”, “No to the constitutional coup d’état”, “Free Senegal”.
“The watchword today is mobilization”
The gendarmes patrolled the entire area of the march, but unlike previous demonstrations, which were prohibited, they did not wear anti-riot gear. The opposition has been calling for a “constitutional coup d’état” since the beginning of February. But since Thursday’s decision by the Constitutional Council to invalidate the postponement of the election to December 15 and to demand that it be held “as soon as possible” – which President Macky Sall accepted – the situation has deteriorated. is peaceful, as evidenced by the authorization of this demonstration.
“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. The president’s decision to comply with the opinion of the Constitutional Council “takes a lot of stress away from us”, said in the crowd Maestro El Kangam, a 34-year-old rapper, draped in the colors of Senegal.
“Personally, I don’t have confidence in him and I’m waiting to see if he will respect his word, if he does, he will at least leave through the front door,” he nevertheless qualifies. “I am proud to see today that all Senegalese are united for the same objective, that of holding the elections as quickly as possible. We are ready to elect a new president,” rejoices Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane Gueye, sitting in a Wheelchair. “Macky Sall dictator”, “Free Sonko”, chants the crowd of men, women of all ages, children, in a festive atmosphere.
Although absent, Ousmane Sonko, imprisoned opposition leader, very popular with young people, is omnipresent among the marchers who sing the famous song “Sonko namenaaalaa” (“We miss you Sonko”). Previous demonstrations organized to oppose the postponement and the vote of deputies setting the date of the poll for December 15, all banned, had given rise to violence and numerous arrests. Three people were killed on February 9.
The presidential election should be held before April 2
The international community has expressed its concern and called for the presidential election to be held as quickly as possible. On Saturday, the President of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, called for “inclusive, free and transparent elections” to be held as soon as possible. Macky Sall’s term ends on April 2 and the presidential election should theoretically be held before then. The Head of State indicated that he intended to conduct “without delay the necessary consultations for the organization of the presidential election as soon as possible”, in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Council.
Everyone agrees, including the Constitutional Court which has not set a date, that the election is no longer possible on February 25. Another unknown apart from the date is the identity of the presidential candidates. The “Sages” approved 20 candidacies in January, and invalidated dozens of others. However, the strong protests to which this process gave rise and the accusations of corruption brought against the Council by the disqualified candidate Karim Wade were the one of the presidential camp’s arguments for postponing the election.
For Karim Wade and other eliminated candidates, the postponement was a necessity or a godsend. Furthermore, after the release in recent days of several dozen opponents, pressure could quickly increase for the release of the anti-system candidate and member of Pastef (dissolved) Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a serious contender for victory although detained.