US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with Senegalese President Macky Sall as tensions rise in the West African state following the postponement of the 25 February presidential election to 15 December, 2024.
A statement issued by Mr. Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the Department of State, said Mr Blinken conveyed the United States’ “serious concerns” about Senegal’s current political situation following actions to postpone the election.
“The Secretary urged President Sall to restore Senegal’s electoral calendar and timeline for presidential transition in accordance with Senegal’s constitution,” the statement said.
Mr. Blinken also voiced concern about heightened political tensions and the potential for further domestic and regional instability as a result of recent events.
Last week, Senegal’s parliament voted to delay the election to 15 December after a chaotic National Assembly session during which security forces removed opposition lawmakers.
Demonstrations broke out in the capital, Dakar, and several other cities after President Sall announced that presidential elections, slated for 25 February, would be delayed.
The ECOWAS Commission, the United States, African Union Commission, European Commission and Gambia are among organisations and countries that have expressed alarm at the crisis and called for the restoration of the electoral calendar.
A team from the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Monday began a series of meetings with stakeholders in Senegal in efforts to end the raging political crisis.
The Senegalese authorities on Tuesday announced the suspension of internet at “certain time slots” as the prefect of Dakar, Cherif Mouhamadou Blondin Ndiaye, banned a march on Tuesday in tribute to three people who have died during protests against the postponement of the 25 February presidential election.
The official Senegalese News Agency (APS) quoted the Minister of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital, Moussa Bocar Thiam, as saying in a statement that this is “due to the dissemination on social networks of several hateful and subversive messages”.
He said the Ministry “informs the public that due to the dissemination on social networks of several hateful and subversive messages, which have already caused violent demonstrations with deaths and significant material damage, the internet of data mobiles is suspended this Tuesday (…) according to certain time slots. Telephone operators are required to comply with notified requisitions.”
APS said internet access was only restored last Wednesday after a two-day suspension in reaction to the crisis arising from the postponement of the presidential election.
Tuesday’s march in the capital, Dakar, was called by an umbrella group, “Aar Sunu Election” (Protect our election, in the local Wolof language), APS reported.
It said that the administrative authority declared that it is “not able to respond favorably” to the request of the organisers because it will disrupt the free movement of people.
“Occupying the chosen route at the selected times risks seriously disrupting the free movement of people and their goods in view of the mobility problems,” said Ndiaye in a decree. The protest march was due to begin at 15:00 local time (GMT).
On Monday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) became the latest human rights advocate on to ask the Senegalese authorities to immediately open independent investigations into violence during protests on 9 and 10 February over the delayed presidential election that has caused the death of least two young men and a 16-year-old boy, while scores have been injured and at least 271 arrested.
HRW said elsewhere in the country, including Mbour, Mbacké, Tivaoune, Touba, Saint-Louis, and Ziguinchor, security forces also apparently used excessive force to disperse protesters.
The authorities are yet to release the death toll and the number of people injured and arrested during protests, the human rights advocate said in a statement.
HRW said the authorities should release all those held for expressing their political views, ensure the right to freedom of assembly, and end assaults on journalists.
“The recent deaths and injuries of protesters should not lead to further abuse,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior researcher at HRW. “The authorities should rein in security forces, investigate those implicated in abuses, and hold them to account.”
