(Added details and a report on the death of a person during a demonstration, as well as a quote from the leader of the opposition in paragraphs 4 to 6)
by Ngouda Dione and Cooper Inveen
DAKAR, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Clashes broke out between Senegalese security forces and demonstrators on Friday in Dakar and other cities across the country as rallies were held to protest the postponement of the presidential election.
These are the first major demonstrations since President Macky Sall announced a week ago the indefinite postponement of the presidential election, which was to be held on February 25.
Senegalese security forces used tear gas and stun grenades and fired what appeared to be rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of people protesting in the streets of Dakar, a Reuters journalist found.
A student was killed in the northern city of Saint-Louis, opposition leader Khalifa Sall said in a message posted online.
Reuters was not immediately able to verify this information. A representative for the university where the student was enrolled did not respond to a request for comment.
“The hearts of all democrats bleed after these clashes caused by the unjustified suspension of the electoral process,” declared Khalifa Sall, who described the recent events as an “institutional coup.”
In Dakar, demonstrators waved Senegalese flags, while others chanted “Macky Sall is a dictator.”
“We are ready to give our lives so that the people are freed, so that Senegal gets rid of Macky Sall,” said a protester standing near a pile of burning tires.
Clashes also took place between police and demonstrators in other cities in Senegal, notably in Touba, in the center of the country, in Thiès, east of Dakar, in Richard Toll, in the north of the country, and in Kolda, in the south, according to residents and messages posted on social networks.
Macky Sall, who pledged not to seek a third term during the election, justified his postponement by disputes over candidacies and accusations of alleged corruption against two members of the Constitutional Council. (With the contribution of Diadie Ba, written by Nellie Peyton and Alessandra Prentice; French version Camille Raynaud)
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