Senegal: who are the headliners of the local elections in the big cities?

The place of Independence, in Dakar.

The capital of Senegal is a major issue in the local elections scheduled for January 23, 2022 in Senegal.

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Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

A step towards the locals of January 23, 2022 in Senegal, the first ballot since the re-election of Macky Sall in February 2019, has been taken: the submission of the lists is now closed.

Who are the headliners in the big cities?

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With our correspondent in Dakar,

The investitures have sometimes given rise to tensions, even rifts within the main coalitions: Benno Bokk Yakaar, of the majority, Yewwi Askan Wi, formed around the opponents Ousmane Sonko and Khalifa Sall, former mayor of Dakar who remains ineligible -, and Wallu Senegal, a coalition created around the PDS of former president Abdoulaye Wade.

Dakar is a strategic issue, it is the mother of all battles. For the reconquest of the capital, in the hands of the opposition, the majority relies on the Minister of Health Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr. Opposite, the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition finally ruled in favor of Barthélémy Dias, mayor of the municipality of Mermoz-Sacré-Coeur. But Soham el Wardini, the outgoing mayor of Dakar, is not giving up: she will lead the list of the Union Citoyenne Bunt Bi party. It will also be necessary to count, among others, with Doudou Wade, candidate of the Wallu Senegal coalition, Pape Diop, ex-mayor of the capital, or even the press boss Bougane Guèye Dany.

Ousmane Sonko, he launched an assault on Ziguinchor in Casamance.

Benno Bokk Yakaar chose Benoît Sambou, in charge of the presidential party elections.

A " 

 " for the outgoing mayor Abdoulaye Baldé, who slammed the door of the coalition.

also exist in Saint-Louis, where the majority hopes for a re-election of Mansour Faye.

But Mary Teuw Niane, member of the presidential party, is also in the ranks.

► See also: Senegal: on the horizon of local elections, women attacking town halls

Finally, in Thiès, stronghold of former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck, now an ally of Macky Sall, the majority aligns Minister Yankhoba Diattara.

But the outgoing mayor, Talla Sylla, has created his own list.

On the side of Yewwi Askan Wi, Babacar Diop of the Democratic Forces of Senegal was invested.

Again, this caused a break with the former deputy Moussa Tine.

Frustrations, parallel lists… The investiture process has undermined the slogan of unity brandished by the various coalitions.

After the negotiations, the candidates will now be able to work on the programs for these local elections, which constitute a national test for the political forces in the running.

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• Senegal