AFP NEWS – Thousands of opponents demonstrated peacefully on Saturday in Dakar, marking a moment of calm in Senegal after two weeks of tension following the postponement and subsequent invalidation of the presidential election scheduled for February 25 by the Constitutional Council.

Wearing black T-shirts with the name of the citizen collective that called for the march, “Aar Sunu Election” (“Let’s protect our election”), or draped in Senegal’s colors, the demonstrators carried signs with messages such as “Respect for the electoral calendar”, “No to the constitutional coup d’état”, and “Free Senegal”.

Gendarmes patrolled the entire march area, but unlike previous demonstrations, which were prohibited, they did not wear anti-riot gear.

Since the beginning of February, the opposition has been calling for a “constitutional coup”. However, since the Constitutional Council’s decision on Thursday to invalidate the postponement of the election to December 15 and to demand that it be held “as soon as possible” – a decision President Macky Sall accepted – the situation has become peaceful, as evidenced by the authorization of this demonstration.

“The watchword today is mobilization,” declared Malick Gakou, a presidential candidate participating in the march. “The State of Senegal no longer has the right to make mistakes, and it must organize the election in March so that the handover between President Sall and the new president can take place on April 2,” the date of the end of the Head of State’s mandate.

The president’s decision to comply with the opinion of the Constitutional Council “eases a lot of stress for us,” said Maestro El Kangam, a 34-year-old rapper draped in Senegal’s colors, in the crowd.

“Personally, I don’t have confidence in him, and I’m waiting to see if he will respect his word. If he does, he will at least leave through the front door,” he added.

“I am proud to see today that all Senegalese are united for the same objective, that of holding the elections as quickly as possible. We are ready to elect a new president,” rejoiced Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane Gueye, sitting in a wheelchair.

“Macky Sall dictator,” “Free Sonko,” chanted the crowd of men, women of all ages, and children, in a festive atmosphere.

Although absent, Ousmane Sonko, an imprisoned opposition leader popular with young people, was omnipresent among the marchers who sang the famous song “Sonko namenaaalaa” (“We miss you Sonko”).

Previous demonstrations organized to oppose the postponement and the vote of deputies setting the poll date for December 15, all banned, had led to violence and numerous arrests. Three people were killed on February 9.

The international community has expressed its concern and called for the presidential election to be held as quickly as possible. On Saturday, the President of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, called for “inclusive, free, and transparent elections” to be held as soon as possible.

Macky Sall’s term ends on April 2, and the presidential election should theoretically be held before then. The Head of State indicated that he intended to carry out “without delay the necessary consultations for the organization of the presidential election as soon as possible,” in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Council.

Everyone agrees, including the Constitutional Court, which has not set a date, that the election is no longer possible on February 25.

Another unknown apart from the date is the identity of the presidential candidates. The “Sages” approved 20 applications in January and invalidated dozens of others. However, the strong protests that this process gave rise to and the accusations of corruption brought against the Council by the disqualified candidate Karim Wade were some of the arguments of the presidential camp to postpone the election.

For Mr. Wade and other eliminated candidates, the postponement was a necessity or a boon.

Furthermore, after the release in recent days of several dozen opponents, pressure could quickly increase for the release of candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a serious contender for victory although detained.