MORE than 100 political and civil society groups in Senegal came together on Sunday to form a coalition opposing President Macky Sall’s pursuit of a third term in office, just ten months ahead of the presidential elections.
The coalition issued a declaration calling on Sall to respect the constitution and refrain from running for what they deem an ‘illegal and illegitimate’ third term. Despite accusations and mounting tensions, Sall has not clarified his intentions and rejects claims that his candidacy would be unconstitutional.
Ousmane Sonko, Sall’s main political opponent, was among the opposition leaders who attended the coalition’s launch. Over 120 parties signed the charter of the F24 Movement of Vital Forces, the instigators of the coalition, which also demands the release of ‘political detainees’ arrested during protests related to a defamation case against Sonko, brought by a member of Sall’s party who serves as the tourism minister. Recent weeks have seen protests paralyze the capital, Dakar.
In March, Sonko was given a two-month suspended sentence in the defamation case, a ruling his lawyers claim was an attempt to bar him from the 2024 presidential election. An appeal has been lodged, and Sonko was set to face judgment on Monday. Sonko’s situation is further complicated by another case in which he is accused of rape, a charge he vehemently denies. Sonko and his supporters accuse the government of using the justice system to hinder his candidacy in the upcoming election, while the presidential party accuses Sonko of attempting to destabilise the country and incite unrest to evade justice.
