Macky Sall
Who is Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Senegal’s new President?

44-year-old Faye won the March 24 election with 54.2% of the vote, according to the official provisional results from the National Voting Census Commission. He has promised to restore the republic’s institutions, renegotiate mining and energy contracts, and work towards monetary reform, including potentially a new currency

Senegal to hold presidential election after Constitutional Council voids delay

President Macky Sall’s announcement to hold an election on March 23 follows weeks of uncertainty over his bid to extend his time in power

ECOWAS lifts sanctions on Niger weeks after Sahel states announce withdrawal from bloc

The West African bloc has lifted a majority of the sweeping sanctions it had imposed on Niger, including border closures and a freezing of state assets. The move followed soon after Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso declared their withdrawal from ECOWAS after forming the Alliance of Sahel States

Senegalese civil society “remains vigilant” as top court overturns election delay 

The Constitutional Council nullified a presidential decree and a law passed by parliament postponing the February 25 elections. The chief election body has ordered that elections be held “as soon as possible,” with President Macky Sall’s term set to expire on April 2

Anger grows over “constitutional coup” in Senegal after deferral of presidential election

On February 3, President Macky Sall announced an indefinite suspension of the presidential election set for February 25. On February 5, after opposition deputies were forcibly removed by security forces from the parliament, the chamber voted to push the polls to December 15.

Political crisis in Guinea-Bissau deepens as president dissolves parliament, dismisses government

On December 4, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo dissolved the National People’s Assembly citing an alleged coup attempt. The move followed just months after a coalition led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) won a decisive majority in the elections

Senegal protests As Senegal organizes troops to invade Niger, violence mars ‘constitutional order’ within its own borders

Senegalese opposition figure Ousmane Sonko has been on hunger strike for over two weeks against his indictment on new charges. Widely considered the main opposition contender for the 2024 elections, Sonko’s arrest has sparked deadly protests amid anti-government and anti-French anger

Senegal violence A deadly fight: Senegal’s political crisis escalates after repression of protesters

At least 16 people were killed after protests broke out in Senegal following the sentencing of leading opposition figure Ousmane Sonko to two years in prison. Mass public unrest has grown against President Macky Sall and the continued neo-colonial exploitation of the country by France

AU-Putin meeting African Union calls for suspension of anti-Russia sanctions amid rising wheat shortages

“Anti-Russia sanctions have made this situation worse and now we do not have access to grain from Russia, especially wheat,” said AU chairperson Macky Sall following a meeting with Vladimir Putin on June 3

Senegal opposition MP released In Senegal, opposition MP released on bail following mass political unrest

Ousmane Sonko was arrested on March 3 on charges of disrupting public order while going to court to respond to the charges of rape levelled against him. 46-year-old Sonko has denied the rape charges and alleged them to be politically motivated