Deaths in protests in Senegal after White House election postponement: Special investigator made ‘inappropriate criticism’ of Biden’s memory

Protests against the postponement of Senegal’s presidential elections saw violent clashes between demonstrators and police, leaving at least one person dead. A student was killed in violence in the northern city of Saint-Louis in the West African country on Friday, a student representative said. A hospital official confirmed the young man’s death.

In the capital Dakar and other cities across the country, numerous demonstrators protested on Friday against the postponement of the presidential elections until December, which was decided by parliament early this week. In Dakar, the police used tear gas against demonstrators. Protesters threw stones at security forces and set up barricades.

Parliament voted on Monday to postpone the presidential elections, originally scheduled for February 25, until December 15. Head of State Macky Sall had previously announced that he wanted to postpone the presidential elections. The president justified this with a dispute between Parliament and the Constitutional Court over the rejection of candidates for the presidential elections. Critics speak of an ‘institutional coup’ and accuse Sall of wanting to stay in office longer.

The president has repeatedly stated that he does not want to run again in the elections and has instead proposed Prime Minister Amadou Ba as his successor. The opposition accuses the government camp of wanting to prevent a possible defeat for Ba by postponing the elections. In addition, Sall will remain in office until an elected successor takes office. Previously seen as a role model for stability in West Africa, Senegal now appears increasingly entering a serious crisis. (saw/sda/afp)