Senegal’s embattled President Macky Sall is attempting to ease the nation’s worst political crisis in decades by offering a general amnesty for political protests since 2021. This comes amid ongoing talks to set a new date for the presidential election, originally scheduled for February 25th but abruptly delayed, sparking deadly unrest.
Sall presented the amnesty as a gesture of national reconciliation after several years of political tension and sporadic violence. Hundreds of opposition members, including prominent opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and his substitute candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye, have been arrested since 2021. Many believe the amnesty, alongside the release of hundreds of detainees in recent days, aims to pacify the political climate.
However, the proposal faces opposition. Several political actors reject the amnesty, arguing that it would exonerate potential crimes committed by government or security officials during the protests. They demand the amnesty be excluded from discussions on the election date.
The election postponement itself remains a major point of contention. Senegal’s top court ruled it unconstitutional and ordered the vote to be held “as soon as possible.” Despite this, major stakeholders, including 16 out of 19 approved candidates, boycotted the Monday meeting convened by Sall to discuss a new date.
Sall, reiterating his commitment to leaving office by April, emphasized his desire to organize the election before the rainy season and expressed his lack of “personal agenda” in the delay. He seeks to reach a consensus on the date by the end of Tuesday.
However, with Sall’s handpicked successor, Prime Minister Amadou Ba, being one of only two candidates attending the talks, and a rival movement calling for a general strike on Tuesday, the path towards a peaceful resolution remains uncertain. Concerns persist about a potential power vacuum if Sall leaves before a successor is elected, while others accuse him of delaying tactics to benefit his allies or extend his own term. The coming days will be crucial in determining whether Senegal can navigate its political turmoil and hold a peaceful election.
