Protests in Senegal over the postponement of the presidential election have turned violent, leading to the death toll rising to three. The postponement, announced just three weeks before the planned February 25th vote, has sparked clashes between protesters and police in Dakar and other cities. This wave of unrest has raised concerns about the stability of one of the last remaining democracies in coup-plagued West Africa.
President Macky Sall defended the decision, stating that electoral disputes threatened the credibility of the upcoming poll. However, opposition lawmakers have criticized the move, labeling it an "institutional coup." As the public outcry grows, foreign powers and the West African regional bloc ECOWAS have called on Sall to restore a regular electoral process.
The latest casualty occurred in the southern city of Zinguinchor when a young man succumbed to injuries sustained during reported protests on Saturday evening. This brings the total number of deaths to three since the start of the clashes on Friday, according to Cartogra Free Senegal (CFS), a civil society platform tracking casualties. The exact cause of death has yet to be determined, pending an autopsy.
The spokesperson for the interior ministry did not provide any comment on the matter. So far, the ministry has confirmed only one death, a student in the northern city of Saint-Louis on Friday. There is an unconfirmed report of a second death, that of a 23-year-old merchant on the outskirts of Dakar, according to CFS.
The United States Bureau of African Affairs expressed sadness over the deaths in an online statement. They urged all parties to act peacefully and called on President Sall to restore the electoral calendar, regain public trust, and bring calm to the situation.
The future remains uncertain as opposition lawmakers and presidential candidates who reject the postponement have filed legal challenges. They have also stated that they will refuse to recognize President Sall's legitimacy after his original mandate expires in early April. The recently passed postponement bill not only shifted the election to December 15th but also extended Sall's tenure until his successor is installed.
In response to the potential extension of Sall's rule, opposition lawmaker Guy Marius Sagna declared that if power is not restored to them by April 3rd, they will establish a parallel government of national unity. The political landscape in Senegal remains tense and unpredictable, leaving the nation at a critical crossroads as it navigates through the aftermath of the election postponement and the subsequent protests.