Protests Erupt in Senegal Over Postponed Elections

Security forces have dispersed demonstrators who were attempting to gather as protests are prohibited. Local media reports confirmed the deaths of two men in their twenties in Saint-Louis and Dakar. In Saint-Louis, a student was killed on a school campus amid demonstrations.

President Sall’s decision to postpone the presidential elections originally scheduled for this month, sparked anger around the country.

Parliament supported the delay until December and voted to extend Sall’s term until his successor takes office, likely in early 2025. The president cited a dispute between parliament and the Constitutional Council over disqualified candidates as the reason for the postponement.

He expressed a desire to swiftly organise a national dialogue for a peaceful electoral process. Opposition lawmakers have appealed to the Constitutional Court, while presidential candidates have turned to the Supreme Court.

Another wave of protests is planned for Tuesday, while Senegalese in the diaspora, including a significant communities in France, have also mobilised, with gatherings in major cities such as Paris, Bordeaux, and Nice.

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