Escalating Unrest: Senegal Sees First Fatality as Protests Spread Over Postponed Presidential Elections

The postponement of presidential elections in Senegal has ignited a wave of violent protests that now sweep across the nation. Citizens, frustrated and angered by the delay, have taken to the streets in large numbers, demanding immediate action and accountability from the government

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Amidst the chaos, reports have surfaced of clashes between protesters and security forces, leading to the unfortunate loss of life, marking the first fatality in these escalating demonstrations. The situation remains tense as both sides stand firm in their positions, with protesters adamant in their calls for electoral transparency and fair democratic processes.

A student died in clashes with police on Friday in the northern city of Saint-Louis, an opposition leader and a local hospital source said.
In the capital Dakar, security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowds.

The 25 February elections were last week delayed by MPs until 15 December.
President Macky Sall had earlier called off the polls indefinitely, arguing this was needed to resolve a dispute over the eligibility of presidential candidates.
Lawmakers later extended Mr Sall's mandate by 10 months.

Opponents of the move have warned that Senegal's reputation as a bastion of democracy in an unstable region of West Africa is on the line.
Opposition leader Khalifa Sall, who is not related to the president, earlier called the election delay a "constitutional coup".
The death of the student in Saint-Louis was reported by Khalifa Sall in a post on social media.

"The hearts of all democrats bleed at this outburst of clashes provoked by the unjustified halting of the electoral process," he said.
The death was confirmed by a local hospital source speaking on condition of anonymity, and by an official at the university the student attended, according to the AFP news agency.
The Senegalese authorities have not publicly commented on the issue.

The country's mass protests erupted last weekend. On Friday, demonstrators in Dakar fought running battles with security forces, throwing stones and burning tyres.

President Sall has said he is not planning to run for office again - but his critics accuse him of either trying to cling on to power or unfairly influencing whoever succeeds him.

Twenty candidates had made the final list to contest the elections, but several more were excluded by the Constitutional Council, the judicial body that determines whether candidates have met the conditions required to run.

Senegal has maintained its reputation as one of the most stable democracies in West Africa, distinguished as the sole nation in mainland West Africa to have never experienced a military coup but witnessed three predominantly peaceful transitions of power and has never postponed a presidential election.

On Tuesday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) made a plea to Senegal's political leadership, urging them to promptly take measures to restore the electoral calendar in accordance with the country's constitution.