President Macky Sall will speak this Monday evening on Senegalese Radio-Television to say whether or not he will run for a third term in 2024. For him and for his supporters, the question of the legality of a third term is settled but not everyone sees things the same way.
” This is no time to flinch », « we must not let ourselves fall asleep launched Ousmane Sonko in this message broadcast on his social networks. That President Macky Sall presents his candidacy or not, the objective according to the opponent is to exclude him from the presidential race after the national dialogue initiated by the Head of State, reports our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac.
” What will happen is none other than the laying of the last act to end this plot against the candidacy, launched Ousmane Sonko. The National Assembly will certainly be convened in emergency procedure and will pass these measures tending to rehabilitate certain candidates and to do everything to exclude a candidate who seems to be in the best position to win the next presidential election. »
Ousmane Sonko calls for “going out massively to confront the Macky Sall regime and telling him that it will not be up to him to choose the Senegalese candidates who will have to compete for the next presidential elections”
His conviction provoked deadly violence in the country: 16 deaths officially, 29 according to the leader of the Pastef party, who denounces a ” disproportionate use of force “, and challenges the partners of Senegal, in particular France: “ I have no doubt that France is a friend of Senegal. it is time that we know if it is a friendship dedicated to the Senegalese people or to an elite, corrupt, violent. Finally, he asks: I would like to ask the government to stop collaborating militarily, policely, with the French government for the next seven months. »
A special appeal also addressed to Turkey, for ” stop all supply “military equipment” during this zone of turbulence he says. Ousmane Sonko calls on his supporters to ” do not be afraid “. For its part, the government accuses the opponent of inciting “ to the uprising “.
However, the stakes are immense, reports our correspondent in Dakar, Juliet Dubois. If Macky Sall decides not to run for this third term, “ the big balloon of anger will deflate according to a political scientist. However, the question of his succession as the majority candidate would arise, only eight months before the election and without a designated leader. If he presents himself, on the other hand, part of civil society fears a resurgence of tensions.