Student killed in Senegal protests over election postponement
Feb 11, 2024
Saint-Louis [Senegal], February 11 : Tensions escalated in Senegal as a student lost his life amidst violent demonstrations protesting the delay of the presidential election in the city of Saint-Louis, reported Al Jazeera
Clashes between demonstrators and security forces engulfed Senegal's capital, Dakar and other urban centers on Friday, marking the first widespread unrest following the postponement of the vote, a decision feared to precipitate prolonged instability.
According to Al Jazeera, in a statement issued on February 10, the Ministry of Interior and Public Security acknowledged the death of student Alpha Yero Tounkara and pledged an investigation while refuting accusations against its forces.
"The Defence and Security Forces did not intervene to maintain order on the university campus where the death occurred," the statement clarified.
The continuation of protests on February 10 remained uncertain. However, any further confrontations with security forces could deepen concerns of democratic regression, as per Al Jazeera
Less than three weeks before the scheduled February 25 presidential election, parliament voted to reschedule it to December, effectively extending President Macky Sall's tenure and triggering apprehensions about the state of democracy in a region plagued by coups.
Sall, having served his constitutional limit of two terms, faced opposition as parliament approved the delay amid the forceful removal of dissenting lawmakers from the chamber.
Following the parliamentary decision, 39 members of the opposition coalition, Yewwi Askan Wi, and multiple opposition presidential candidates lodged legal challenges against the postponement with the Constitutional Court.
In an effort to assuage public discontent, Sall cited concerns about the credibility of the electoral process due to challenges to the candidate list as the reason for the postponement.
Nevertheless, resentment persisted, with critics labeling the move as an "institutional coup."
"We are fed up with Macky Sall; he has already had two terms. What else does he want?" a protester spoke to Al Jazeera.
This incident underscores the growing unrest and political turmoil in Senegal, raising questions about the future of democracy in the West African nation.
