Senegal’s president proposes general amnesty in bid to calm political tensions

Senegal’s embattled President Macky Sall announced on Monday February 26 a general amnesty for political demonstrators from 2021 to 2024 and urged participants in a national dialogue to reach a consensus on a date to hold a delayed presidential election.

In an attempt to ease tensions ahead of upcoming elections, Sall reiterated his commitment to holding elections before the rainy season begins in July and assured that he will honor his mandate’s end on April 2. Senegal, which is set to become an oil and gas producer by the end of the year, has been pitched into an unprecedented political crisis, triggering violent protests, after Sall deferred the election that was initially scheduled for February 25 to December 15. He presented the amnesty move as a way of reuniting the West African nation that has seen waves of unrest killing dozens in the past three years and several hundred opposition members arrested since 2021.

The mass protests took place against the backdrop of a power struggle between opposition firebrand Ousmane Sonko and the state. Both Sonko and his party’s substitute candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, are now in prison.

“In a spirit of national reconciliation, I will put before the National Assembly this Wednesday February 28 in the council of ministers a bill for a general amnesty for acts relating to political demonstrations that took place between 2021 and 2024,” Sall said. “This will make it possible to pacify the political arena,” he added. But major stakeholders have snubbed Monday’s national dialogue talks for a new poll date, with 16 of the 19 candidates approved by the Constitutional Council to contest the election saying they would boycott the vote.