The President of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, hoped this Saturday, February 17, for
“inclusive, free and transparent elections”
to be held as soon as possible in Senegal, after the cancellation of the postponement of the presidential election which triggered a crisis there.
“The situation in Senegal, a model country in terms of democracy, concerns us the most
,” he declared at the opening of the AU summit.
Moussa Faki Mahamat welcomed
“the position of the Senegalese government to take into high consideration”
the decision of the Constitutional Council, which on Thursday invalidated the decision of Senegalese President Macky Sall to postpone the presidential election.
He wished
“full success to the consultations initiated by the government to decide in a consensual spirit the best path for the organization of free and transparent inclusive elections”
as soon as possible.
An election “as soon as possible” promises Macky Sall
The Senegalese head of state pledged on Friday to organize the presidential election
"as soon as possible"
, respecting the opinion of the Constitutional Council.
His decision at the beginning of February to postpone the vote from February 25 to December at the last minute had triggered the worst crisis that Senegal had experienced in decades.
In power in this West African country since 2012, Macky Sall said he was postponing the elections due to disputes over the disqualification of potential candidates and fear of a return to the unrest seen in 2021 and 2023. The opposition suspected him of wanting to stay in power through this decision.