Dakar, Senegal. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Jeff Attaway Dakar (KNA) Human rights activists have called on Senegal to comply with fair conditions for the presidential election on 25 February. Instead, Senegal’s authorities are cracking down on the opposition, media and civil society in the run-up to the elections, criticised the human rights organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday.
According to the opposition and civil society, up to 1,000 activists and opposition members have been arrested since March 2021. “President Macky Sall’s promise to hold free and fair elections is at odds with reality,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at the organisation. “The authorities should ensure that all Senegalese can express their opinions freely.” They should also ensure that voting on election day is possible without any problems.
The best-known opposition figure currently imprisoned is Ousmane Sonko. In 2021, for example, he was accused of raping a woman. However, he was sentenced to two years in prison for allegedly “seducing the youth”. Sonko, who is particularly popular with the younger generation and was considered one of the most promising candidates, was not approved as a candidate by the Constitutional Council. His supporters criticised the decision as a “political conspiracy”. Karim Wade, son of former President Abdoulaye Wade, was also disqualified.
Senegal has so far been regarded as politically stable in West Africa and an important partner of European states. Unlike neighbouring Mali, it has so far been largely spared terrorist attacks. The vast majority profess Islam.