2024-02-12 11:14:45
Political tension is at its height in Senegal since President Macky Sall decided to postpone indefinitely the presidential election scheduled for February 25. This Monday, violent clashes between police and demonstrators broke out in Dakar where the Internet is cut. The situation seems out of control.
It is an understatement to say that the surprise decision of the Senegalese head of state to postpone the vote to a later date for “security reasons” ignited the powder. The opposition is calling for a “coup d’état” while a major popular revolt against the government seems to be rising.
And this Monday, February 5, the situation dangerously degenerated in the streets of Dakar. While a rally was planned in front of Parliament at the start of the morning at the call of the opposition, violent clashes quickly broke out between young demonstrators and the police.
Tensions reached such a height that police officers found themselves chased and assaulted in the street by angry protesters, as evidenced by images circulating on social networks. Faced with the uncontrollable turn of events, the authorities even had to completely cut off access to the Internet and mobile networks in the Senegalese capital to try to quell the protest.
But the lid of the pressure cooker may continue to shake dangerously in the coming days. While Macky Sall is currently maintaining total vagueness on the new date of the presidential election, the opposition has already warned that “no postponement will be tolerated beyond February 27”, the deadline according to the Constitution.
The pre-electoral campaign which started on February 5 promises to be very explosive. And Senegal seems on the verge of implosion until credible elections are organized. But Macky Sall seems to be playing for time, even if it means setting the country on fire…