Support the Struggle of the Senegalese People for Democracy and National Independence

STATEMENT OF THE ILPS PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE FOR AFRICA AND WEST ASIA ON THE SENEGAL SITUATION

February 26, 2024

The International League of People’s Struggle Committee for Africa and West Asia (ILPS Africa-WA) congratulates the Senegalese people for their victory against the Sall regime’s maneuvers to cancel the presidential election and remain in power.

On February 3, 2024, President Sall of Senegal canceled the presidential election scheduled on February 25th, 2024 This constitutional coup was supported by the President’s Bennoo Bokk Yaakar Coalition and the Senegalese Democratic Party. Two days after the cancelation, these two parties managed to pass a law in the National Assembly postponing the presidential election to December 15, 2023.

The cancelation of the election is the latest of a series of desperate attempts by the ruling regime to hold on to power. It is a continuation of the violent events of March 2021 and June 2023 when the regime launched waves of repression killing more than 50 demonstrators, injuring hundreds, torturing and imprisoning more than 1500 people , including the President and Secretary General of the opposition party Pastef. Pastef stands for national sovereignty, Pan-Africanism, and international solidarity against imperialism.

Today, however, the Senegalese people, to a man, oppose the constitutional coup. A broad array of opposition and political forces, citizen’s movements. unions, religious organizations, independent organizations, personalities and academics say “No” to the cancelation of the election. Their mass mobilizations were met by fierce repression by the authorities, leaving four young demonstrators dead and many more injured and imprisoned.

Africans all over the continent support the struggle of the Senegalese people against the constitutional coup d’etat. The international community including the African Union, ECOWAS, USA, UN, France and the European Union has called out the ruling regime for the cancelation.

The opposition forces won a temporary victory when the Constitutional Council of Senegal declared on February 15, 2024 the postponement of the election illegal. The Council recalled that the President’s mandate ends on April 2nd 2024 and asked the regime to hold a presidential election before this date.

While the President promised to comply with the decision of the Constitutional Council and bow to the popular will for an election before his term ends, we enjoin the forces of democracy in Senegal to remain united and vigilant for political maneuvers of the regime. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

Long Live the Struggle of the Senegalese People for Democracy and National Independence!