Thousands of peaceful protesters took to the streets of the Senegalese capital, Dakar, on Saturday, indicating a sense of calm after two weeks of tension following the decision to postpone the presidential elections scheduled for February 25, which was annulled by the Constitutional Council. President Macky Sall announced on Friday in a statement that elections would be held “at the earliest opportunity.”
After two weeks of tensions surrounding the decision to postpone the presidential elections scheduled for February 25, which was annulled by the Constitutional Council in Senegal, thousands of opposition supporters peacefully protested in Dakar on Saturday, signaling a calming of the situation.
Protesters wore black shirts bearing the name of the association that called for the demonstration, or were adorned with the colors of the Senegalese flag. They waved banners with slogans such as “Respect the electoral calendar,” “No to constitutional coup,” and “Free Senegal.”
The opposition has denounced what it termed a “constitutional coup” since early February. Since the Constitutional Council’s decision on Thursday to annul the election postponement and demand they be held “as soon as possible,” followed by President Sall’s commitment to this timeline, street tensions have eased. This was also reflected in the permission granted for this protest.