Senegal’s political landscape is bracing for a crucial legislative election this Sunday, with tensions running high ahead of the vote.
Politicians wrapped up their campaigns on Friday, as the race for 165 seats in the national assembly enters its final stretch.
The election will decide the balance of power in Senegal’s assembly, where President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s party currently lacks a majority.
Faye, who won March’s presidential election on an anti-establishment platform, has faced significant obstacles in executing his reform agenda due to the lack of legislative support.
During his campaign, Faye vowed to fight corruption, overhaul foreign fishing permits, and ensure a larger share of the country’s natural resources benefits its people.
However, the opposition-led parliament has thwarted his progress.
In September, Faye dissolved the parliament and called for a snap election, hoping to secure the mandate needed to push through his reforms.
The campaign has been marked by sporadic violence, with clashes erupting between party supporters across the country.
In central Senegal, tensions boiled over, and opposition party headquarters in the capital, Dakar, were set ablaze. These confrontations have escalated as the election draws nearer.
Ousmane Sonko, a prominent opposition figure and former ally of Faye, condemned the attacks against his supporters.
Sonko, the leader of PASTEF, called for justice but later urged calm in a speech. The violence even targeted him, as his vehicle was pelted with stones during a recent rally.
The election is a critical moment for Senegal’s democracy, testing its stability amid growing unrest in West Africa.
With memories of last year’s protests still fresh, this vote will determine if Faye’s reform agenda can gain the traction it desperately needs.