It is a relief for the Senegalese people: after days and months of uncertainty, president Macky Sall affirmed this week that he would finally not run for a third presidential term in February 2024. After the recent events of the last few days that brought death and chaos in the streets of Dakar, but also in other parts of the country, the speech of the Senegalese president is about to bring back peace and quietness in a country that deeply needs it.
Doubts had been aroused about the potential decision of Macky Sall to try to be president a third time in spite of a constitution that limits any Senegalese president to two terms maximum. It is unfortunately common to witness presidents who eventually do not respect the texts because they do not want to leave power, or to see them change the constitution or find ways of being president again by bypassing the law. It could have been the case here.
The tensions emphasized by the condemnation to jail of his main contender Ousmane Sonko were probably taken into account by Macky Sall, who surely did not want to bring unsafety and unrest in his country more than it is today. Calling for a sense of responsibilities, the current president is now leaving the presidential seat for another candidate, and the upcoming presidential campaign promises to be open and unsure: who will be able to take the lead and tackle the problems of the Senegalese society? Half a year stands between today and the elections, and this is only the beginning of hostilities.
For students about to graduate, the announcement of Macky Sall is a relief as well since universities had been closed due to the recent troubles: time to get prepared for the thesis before the holidays!