SENEGAL UNREST AMID ‘CONSTITUTIONAL COUP’ CLAIMS

The Senegalese capital has been rocked by unrest again after President Macky Sall postponed the presidential election indefinitely. The opposition say it amounts to a ‘constitutional coup.’

Sall had ruled himself out of the race - which was meant to take place February 25th - after mass demonstrations over the prospect of him seeking a controversial third term. He’s now put his support behind his prime minister, Amadou Ba.

Unrest has also been triggered by what is seen as Sall’s suppression of rival candidates - in particular, the popular Ousmane Sonko, whose anti-imperialist and anti-French stance has captured the public imagination. Sonko is also admired as a whistleblower who exposed tax-evasion via off-shore accounts among the elite. But he’s been barred from running after being found guilty of “corrupting youth” - a trumped-up charge, according to his supporters.

Thérèse Faye Sall, the Minister of Community Development, is proposing a six-month postponement of the election. Do you think Macky Sall will let go of power? Share your predictions in the comments.