Senegal Parliament
Senegalese lawmakers on Monday debated a move to delay February’s presidential election, which sparked clashes outside parliament, which has prompted international concern.
Footage seen by reporters in the African nation showed how security forces used tear gas to disperse small groups of opposition protesters outside the National Assembly.
The mood in Senegal, often viewed as a bastion of stability in coup-hit West Africa, has been tense since Saturday when President Macky Sall announced a delay to the February 25 vote, hours before campaigning was officially set to begin.
The sporadic clashes in downtown Dakar resulted in the heavy presence of police and security forces backed up by heavy vehicles to protect parliament.
Demonstrators were seen on Monday chanting; “Macky Sall dictator” in reference to the president after being scattered.
One of the demonstrators, Malick Diouf, who spoke to reporters revealed that he had no preferred candidate and did not even have a voting card, but felt it was crucial to come and protest.
“The main thing for me is to say ‘no’ to this political agenda, this coup de force to try to stay in power,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, the government of Senegal on Monday suspended mobile internet access in the country, citing the dissemination of “hateful and subversive messages” on social media, as the reason for the cut-off.
