A Pan-African movement, Africans Rising, has commended President Macky Sall of Senegal for abandoning his third term bid.
It said the official announcement by the President on Monday, July 3, 2023, though untimely, given the political upheaval his silence had generated, was a step in the right direction.
‘Nonetheless, this will go a long way to restore peace and tranquility,’ Africans Rising stated in a release, copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Accra on Thursday.
President Sall’s decision not to seek a third term in office has been welcomed by many political analysts and observers, following months of speculation, tension and violence related to his long silence on his stance in next year’s election.
‘My dear fellow citizens, my decision after a long consideration is to not be a candidate in the election on February 25, 2024,’ the embattled President said in a televised address.
‘My 2019 term was my second and last term,’ he assured the nation.
The violent protests, linked to his refusal to come clear, regarding initial concerns that he might be seeking a third term in the 2024 presidential election, spread throughout the country leading to several deaths and injuries of protesters.
Some 16 protesters have lost their lives over the past month, following the sentencing of popular opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, according to the country’s public broadcaster RTS.
Africans Rising, while commending the President for respecting the constitution on a two-term limit, however, said his announcement should have come much earlier.
This would have avoided the needless violence and loss of lives, the movement said.
‘As a further step, President Sall should proceed and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily arrested and detained for protesting and exercising their rights to freedom of assembly (political prisoners, activists, journalists, women, and children).
‘We also urge the regional bodies such as ECOWAS to keep an eye on the peace process and continue with constructive engagement with all sectors of the society to maintain peace and stability.
‘Africans Rising is committed and available to support in this respect,’ the statement noted.
Senegal had since 2021 experienced violent protests amid growing frustration with President Sall.
His critics and opponents accuse him of failing to manage the economy satisfactorily and also stifling opposition criticism amid rumours he may seek to bypass presidential term limits and run again next year.
Source: Ghana News Agency