Senegal: Tensions over postponement of elections

There are violent protests in Senegal because the presidential elections were delayed. They have spread all over the country and someone has died.

A student was killed in a fight with the police on Friday in the city of Saint-Louis, a leader of the opposing group and a source from the nearby hospital confirmed.

In the main city Dakar, the police used tear gas and loud stun grenades to make people leave.

MPs decided to delay the February 25 elections until December 15.

President Macky Sall had decided to stop the elections for an unknown amount of time because there was a disagreement about who could run for president.

The lawmakers later made Mr. Sall’s time in office 10 months longer.

Critics say that Senegal’s reputation as a strong democracy in a shaky part of West Africa is at risk because of this decision.

Opposition leader Khalifa Sall, who is not related to the president, said that the election delay is like a government takeover that goes against the country’s laws.

Khalifa Sall posted on social media that a student in Saint-Louis had died.

“He said all democrats are upset by the fighting caused by stopping the election for no good reason. ”

The hospital and the university confirmed that the student has passed away, but they want to keep their identities a secret. This information came from the AFP news agency.

The Senegalese officials have not said anything about the problem in public.

The country had big protests last weekend. On Friday, people in Dakar fought with the police. They threw rocks and burned tires.

President Sall said he will not run for office again, but some people think he is either trying to stay in power or unfairly influencing the next leader.

Twenty people were chosen to run for election, but some others were not allowed to because they didn’t meet the rules.

West Africa’s Ecowas group asked Senegal’s political leaders to quickly follow the constitution and make sure the electoral schedule is back on track.

Senegal has been seen as a stable democracy in West Africa for a long time. It is the only country in West Africa that has never had a military takeover.

It has had three times where a new person became the leader without fighting, and it has never put off a vote for president.