The day promises to be tense again in Senegal. The authorities banned a march planned for Tuesday February 13 in the afternoon to which representatives of civil society had called to protest against the postponement of the presidential election and the extension of the mandate of Head of State Macky Sall, indicated one of the organizers at AFP.
Elymane Haby Kane, one of those who declared the plan to demonstrate to the authorities on behalf of a collective, confirmed having received a letter to this effect from the prefecture. The letter posted on social media says the march is prohibited because it "risks causing serious disruption" to traffic.
Can we believe in the words and promises of appeasement and dialogue from an authority which continues to hinder the fundamental freedom of citizens to walk 🤔Just a bluff to gain time in a narrow situation...#AarSunuElection #TERminus2Avril2024 #SenegalBañNa @kebetu pic.twitter.com/VdXuxyKSlx
— Elimane H KANE (@ElimaneH) February 13, 2024
This march was to take place four days after a large-scale protest across the country repressed by security forces. Three people were killed. Many Senegalese wanted to respond to an appeal – to unidentified perpetrators – broadcast on social networks, but were prevented from doing so by the police and gendarmes.
Senegal is in the grip of one of its most serious political crises in recent decades since President Macky Sall announced the postponement of the presidential election on February 3, three weeks before the deadline.
With AFP
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