President Macky Sall Declares General Amnesty Bill

On Monday, President Macky Sall of Senegal announced a general amnesty bill for incidents related to the unrest that has been plaguing his country since 2021. This announcement comes amid a major crisis over the postponement of the presidential election, a move that has garnered significant media attention.

In an effort to foster national reconciliation, President Sall plans to submit the general amnesty bill to the National Assembly on Wednesday during a Council of Ministers meeting. This bill pertains to the political demonstrations that took place between 2021 and 2024. The announcement was made in Diamniadio, near Dakar, where President Sall is seeking to negotiate an agreement on the election date.

President Sall believes the amnesty will pacify the political landscape and strengthen national unity. He expressed his intention to hold the presidential election by June or July, even though many are calling for it to take place before April 2. His primary goal is to conduct the election before the rainy season and to ensure it is peaceful.

The President also pledged to step down from his position on the official end date of his term, April 2. He initiated this dialogue with the sole objective of building consensus on the date for the next presidential election, aiming for it to occur under the best possible conditions.

Since Monday, the President has been engaging with various political and social actors in an attempt to reach an agreement on the election date. He allocated two days, Monday and Tuesday, to find a solution to the ongoing crisis. However, 16 of the 19 eligible candidates and several citizen groups declared they would not participate, and there was no indication on Monday that they had changed their mind.

The situation was further complicated when President Sall decreed a last-minute postponement on February 3. This was seen by the opposition as a “constitutional coup”, leading to protests that resulted in four deaths and numerous arrests. The Constitutional Council blocked the postponement, stating that the presidential election could not be held on February 25 and urging the authorities to schedule it “as soon as possible”.

A wide political and citizen coalition was established to demand the swift organization of the election, ideally before President Sall’s term ends on April 2. Many members of this coalition are concerned about the potential consequences of a presidential vacancy without a clear successor. Even President Sall himself has expressed doubts about the feasibility of holding an election before his term ends.