SENEGALESE opposition supporters and civil society activists held a protest in the capital, Dakar, on Friday, opposing a potential third-term bid by President Macky Sall. The protest follows violent protests in Senegal over various issues, including concerns by opposition parties that Sall may run for a third term in office.
Senegal’s new constitution limits presidential terms to two five-year mandates, but Sall has not confirmed or denied plans to run, stating in March that he could technically do so because the new constitution reset the clock on his number of mandates.
‘Macky Sall is done. He must not seek a third term. We’ll not accept it – not today, not tomorrow,’ Reuters reported Ibrahima Lo, a trader from the southern town of Kaolack, who joined the protest in the capital, as saying.
The opposition has accused Sall’s government of using the judicial system to target potential challengers, including leading opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, who placed third in the 2019 presidential election. Sonko is on trial in two separate cases which could disqualify him from the 2024 presidential race. The government has denied the opposition’s accusations.
‘A great injustice is being committed. The case against Ousmane Sonko is nothing more than a political maneuver to prevent him from running in 2024,’ said Boubacar Ndiaye, a member of the Movement for the Defense of Democracy.
A court of appeal recently handed Sonko a heavier suspended sentence in a libel case against Senegal’s tourism minister. Another trial is scheduled to start on Tuesday in which he is charged with raping a beauty salon employee in 2021 and making death threats against her. Sonko has denied both allegations, and his legal troubles have sparked violent protests and clashes between his supporters and security forces.
The opposition’s protest comes amid growing tension in Senegal, with many calling for an end to Sall’s regime. It remains to be seen whether Sall will run for a third term, but the opposition is determined to prevent it.