Many people were startled by Senegalese President Macky Sall’s decision to forego running for a third term. Many people in Dakar, where tensions had been running high before Sall’s address to the country on Monday, are welcoming the decision as a huge relief. Wahany Sambo, one of our reporters, visited the streets of Dakar and spoke with some locals.
“I’m so happy that I’m at a loss for words, because all the Senegalese people were waiting for him. He’s done something that will always be engraved in our minds. It’s a pleasure and an example that Senegal is still setting” a male respondent said.
“It’s a joy because there was a lot of tension here in Senegal over this. I think this is a wise decision that will help bring peace back to the country. So I’m glad he won’t be seeking a third term”, a female respondent said.
President Macky Sall has ended a tense period of uncertainty and months of rumour by announcing that he will not run in the February 2024 presidential election. Political expert Babacar Dione claimed that this choice was still inevitable.
“As he put it, Macky Sall could accomplish no less than his forebears. He was supposed to greatly expand the reach of our democracy. He therefore had no choice but to act as it has been. Senegal is in line with what other African nations have already begun to do, according to Dione: “In Niger, that’s how it is; in Ghana and in other English-speaking countries, there are no issues; alternation occurs frequently.
The headlines in this morning’s Senegalese press following President Macky Sall’s decision not to seek a third term in office are symptomatic of the relief felt by the Senegalese people, according to Africanews correspondent Wahany Sambo.
“Macky to the Hall of Fame of the World, We Salute the Greatness of the President for Failing to Answer the Call of His Supporters,” one of the Daily Ace’s headlines, according to Sambo. While Walfadjri, whose signal was recently interrupted, writes “Macky Sall Yewwina Askan Wi,” which translates to “Macky Sall finally liberates the Senegalese people,” another daily, La Tribune, which is owned by a Macky Sall foe and is strongly critical of the administration, says “Macky Sall on the path of great men.”
According to Sambo, many Senegalese who anticipated unrest if Macky Sall ever announced his candidature for a third term do feel somewhat liberated as a result of this. However, there is still the contentious issue of Ousmane Sonko’s candidature.
