President Macky Sall came under criticism on social networks this week, following an exclusive interview he did with the BBC during which he expressed no regret over the deadly consequences of postponing the country’s original election date of February 25. This decision, of course, led to multiple deaths of civilians, protests, and prompted another internet ban across the country that stifled business and needed income.
For the past several years, the political scene in Senegal has been tense—to say the least. Three years ago this week, in fact, a series of mass protests broke out following the arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko over rape allegations. During the month, at least 13 civilians were killed in clashes with dozens more – conservatively estimated at 60 – joined them. Thousands more Senegalese were arbitrarily detained, including Ousmane Sonko and his hand-picked candidate for president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Initially scheduled for February 25, people were greatly surprised to learn of President Sall’s declaration on February 3 that ‘indefinitely’ postponed the election due to what he labelled an ‘institutional crisis.’ Due to mounting public (and international) pressure, President Sall ultimately initiated a series of public dialogues that were aimed at resolving differences, including the approval of an amnesty measure ostensibly based on ‘a desire for appeasement of the political space, reconciliation and transcending."
This law, passed by the National Assembly on March 6, erased all sanctions imposed on anyone arrested in the context of the riots or prohibited demonstrations and other related activity between March 2021 and February 2024. Before the passage of this law, 500 other detainees were also released, which has been followed by dozens more every day since, in an apparent act of good faith by authorities to restore peace.
This week was marked by an unprecedented ambiance across the capital Dakar and its outskirts, as Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye were also freed from prison thanks to the amnesty law. While these moves have been both welcomed and celebrated across the country, it is concerning that there appears to be a ‘two-speed justice system.’ For example, many of President Sall’s political allies have long been freed, fully accorded their civil and political rights, while it took over two years of heated national tensions – and the deaths of protesters – to similarly clear the names of Sonko and his political brethren.
Today, we know for certain that President Sall will leave power on April 2, the official date marking the end of his second and final term. Voters remain skeptical about the support he has given to his hand-picked successor, Amadou Ba. Local observers continue to indicate that his support is not total, despite the official rhetoric and press releases that have urged activist leaders to unite in momentum and work to ensure that he wins at the ballot box on March 24.
Sonko, for his part, remains a vocal opponent of President Sall, and by extension, his handpicked candidate, Ba. At his first press conference since July 2023, he railed against the ruling party, claiming that his jailing and dismissal from the ballot was commanded not by the rule of law, but by a single man: President Sall himself. Sonko’s supporters, many of them Senegalese youth, firmly believe this as well. So, too, does the leadership of his PASTEF party.
Nevertheless, it appears that nothing will prevent the presidential election from being held on the scheduled date of March 24. This is good news for Senegalese democracy. That citizens have been given back their freedom to vote and to elect a new president is a victory for the country and its reputation. It offers a glimmer of hope for a people who have survived several years of political unrest and uncertainty. Indeed, the sustained pressure from domestic social movements and opposition parties, as well as international partners, seems to have led to President Sall’s abdication and a sign of a return to respect for democratic institutions.
Now, just days before the election, the campaign caravans continue with great fanfare. Flags and flyers are being proudly hoisted and speeches are attracting droves of citizens. The democratic experiment in Senegal continues, and so too does ambiguity of the results.
Borso Tall is a freelance journalist based in Dakar, Senegal. Previously, she was a Chevening Scholar and a Mandela Washington Fellow. Follow on Twitter: @NBorso
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Vanguard Africa, the Vanguard Africa Foundation, or its staff.