DAKAR (Reuters) – Senegal’s communications ministry on Tuesday suspended internet access to mobile phone operators ahead of a planned silent march by activist groups banned by authorities over the sudden postponement of presidential elections. I was instructed to do so.
The announcement that the vote would be postponed just weeks before the scheduled Feb. 25 vote sparked violent clashes last week, leading to the deaths of three young people and multiple arrests.
Parliament voted to hold the election on December 15th.
The delay has fueled concerns among opposition politicians, who see it as an unprecedented extension of President Macky Sall’s mandate, breaking with Senegal’s democratic traditions.
It is unclear whether the march will take place after authorities banned it on Monday, citing logistical concerns.
Civil society and religious groups that called for the demonstrations will hold a press conference later on Tuesday to announce next steps, spokesman Amadou Sambu told Reuters.
In Senegal, one of the relatively stable democracies in West Africa, democracy has been forced into retreat in many countries in recent years due to military takeovers and constitutional maneuvering, and the postponement of voting has left many people disappointed. It was discouraging.
In a statement, the ministry blamed the deaths and property damage caused by recent protests on hateful online messages.
In the capital Dakar on Friday, police in riot gear fired tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets at demonstrators who were burning tires and throwing stones, Reuters reported. Fired something.
Amnesty International and the United Nations Human Rights Office called on the Senegalese government to investigate the killings and police brutality of protesters.
At least 266 people, including journalists, were arrested across the United States, said Liz Trossel, spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS sent a parliamentary diplomatic mission to Senegal on Monday to discuss the country’s political situation.
(Reporting by Bate Felix, Alessandra Prentice, Emma Farge, Portia Crowe; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
