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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSenegal election dominated by freed prisoner Faye and heir apparent BaPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Khadidiatou CisséBBC News, DakarIt is a crowded field of 18 in the battle for Senegal’s top job, but two men – recently freed opposition politician Bassirou Diomaye Faye and the ruling party’s heir apparent Amadou Ba – look most likely to win over voters in Sunday’s presidential election.Their rivalry underpins a massive divide and clash of outlook in the country, usually regarded as a beacon of democracy in West Africa, especially over its relationship with France, the former colonial power.The poll is a rushed job – the date was announced with less than three weeks’ notice, following a month of confusion and violent protests. What seems to unite most Senegalese is the anger directed at outgoing President Macky Sall who tried to postpone the election – originally scheduled for 25 February – until December. Mr Sall has told the BBC he acted to protect the integrity of the vote after allegations of corruption and disputes over the eligibility of some presidential candidates. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Senegal President Macky Sall: ‘I will not apologise because I did nothing wrong’However, critics accused him of seeking to extend his term in office or stop the clock to better prepare his candidate – which he denies.It led to political turmoil, the intervention of the Constitutional Court, the president agreeing to leave office next month when his term officially ends, and a new election date.Then last week, some of his fiercest critics – those involved in political protests over the last few years – were freed in a presidential amnesty in order to calm tensions.This included firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who came third in the last election and is hugely popular with young people eager for change.But the 49-year-old is barred from running as a candidate this time, due to a series of charges he says were politically motivated.Instead, he is throwing his considerable clout behind Mr Faye, who like him is a former tax inspector and was released from detention at the same time – he was awaiting trial on charges of defamation and spreading fake news.The two met while working at the tax office and Mr Faye, who turns 44 the day after the election, was previously secretary-general of Mr Sonko’s Pastef party, which was dissolved by the government last year over allegations it had called for an insurrection.Their slogan “Sonko is Diomaye, Diomaye is Sonko” has gone viral on social media in the last week.Image source, AFPImage caption, Candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye and opposition leader Ousmane Sonko are popular with younger votersThe pair – greeted on their release by celebrating crowds – are pushing their anti-establishment vision for institutional reforms. It is an Afrocentric and nationalist agenda, including plans to renegotiate the country’s mining and energy contracts.Mr Faye also wants Senegal to stop using the CFA franc – the West African single currency that is pegged to the euro, with the financial backing of the French treasury, and which is regarded by his supporters as a relic of the colonial era.The proposal has been labelled as irresponsible by his opponents, although Mr Sonko has sought to quell such fears by saying they would seek to reform the regional currency first and only consider introducing a national currency if that should fail. In contrast to this radical path, Mr Ba, prime minister until he resigned to contest the election, seeks to represent continuity and stability.At his rallies, the 62-year-old has hit out at the former Pastef pair, labelling them “bandits” and saying a vote for him is a vote for “greater peace and prosperity”.He argues his ministerial track record proves he will oversee development and create one million jobs in five years – as the staid statesman woos the youth vote.Mr Ba may have been on the political scene for the last decade, but he is a bit of a closed book for most. He has tried to open up as a man of the people, revealing his love for reggae music and Bob Marley.With more than half of Senegal’s population under the age of 25 and growing frustration over unemployment and boats full of migrants heading for Europe, it is an important demographic.Image source, AFPImage caption, Amadou Ba says a vote for him is a vote for peace and prosperityArame Gueye Sene, executive director of the youth group Social Change Factory, told the BBC that young people were engaged in campaign issues, although the majority of the seven million registered voters were aged 35 and over.”We see them on the streets, but we’re not sure that a lot of them are able to vote next Sunday,” she said.A significant challenge for all candidates has been that the postponed election has fallen in the middle of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.In Senegal, 95% of the population is Muslim and consequently key cities like the capital, Dakar, and Thiès are unusually quiet for an election campaign.People tend to save their energy until they break their fast at sunset, meaning candidates are having to rethink their campaign strategies. Booklets detailing proposed policies have been shared online, as well as live recordings of rallies. Image source, AnadoluImage caption, Campaigning has been quiet in Dakar, seen here behind the Renaissance Monument, because of Ramadan”We have to double efforts to mobilise voters,” Anta Babacar Ngom, a business executive and the only woman in this race, told the BBC.Candidates are still making an effort to tour the country – as Mohamed Ly, a member of Khalifa Sall’s campaign team, said that undecided voters could prove key.Mr Sall, the 68-year-old former mayor of Dakar and no relation to the president, is one of two candidates who could prove a kingmaker or push the vote into a second round. To win outright, a contender must obtain more than 50% of the vote.The other such candidate is Idrissa Seck, the 64-year-old former mayor of Thiès. Both have loyal followings.Another influential player is Karim Wade. The 55-year-old is the son of ex-President Abdoulaye Wade, though his candidacy was rejected as he had not renounced his French citizenship in time – electoral laws do not allow for dual nationality.His Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) has not put forward an alternative candidate but has traditionally benefitted from the support of the Mourides, the most influential Muslim brotherhood in Senegal. If it publicly backs one of the candidates, that could prove decisive.Most of the electorate may feel bruised by the upheaval of the last month but electoral directorate head Birame Sene is confident they have nothing to worry about.He told the BBC everything was in order and well prepared for Sunday’s vote – when Senegal’s much-vaunted democratic values will be put to the test.More on Senegal’s 2024 election:’We feel betrayed by President Macky Sall”If I were president’: Senegalese children organise own pollOusmane Sonko: Senegalese youth hero or rabble-rouser?Related TopicsSenegalAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsTop StoriesBlood test reveals best lung cancer treatmentPublished8 hours agoUK’s highest student loan revealed to be £231,000Published8 hours agoThe 12-year-old Gazan girl who lost her family overnightPublished2 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Women ‘owed’ payouts after £35bn ‘Waspi sting”I want the £45,000 state pension that was stolen from me’Weekly quiz: How long did this woman take to climb nearly 300 mountains?Inside the ice cream van feeding familiesApple becomes the latest tech giant under siegeThe 12-year-old Gazan girl who lost her family overnightFleeing Ukraine’s embattled border villages’I couldn’t photograph The Beatles – but I captured Oasis’Why Trump may reap billions in a stock market mergerElsewhere on the BBCAre you ready for a challenge?Test your pop knowledge with Vernon Kay’s music quizAttributionSoundsTracking down online trolls…Behind striker Neal Maupay’s struggle with an extreme case of online hateAttributioniPlayerUnearthing China’s terracotta armyIn 1974 a chance find by Chinese farmers led to an astonishing archaeological discoveryAttributionSoundsMeet some adorable hamsters from Wales…This family loves Casualty, News, Sport and the odd murder show!AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Starmer urges Nike to change new England kit cross2UK’s highest student loan revealed to be £231,0003Women ‘owed’ payouts from £35bn ‘Waspi sting’4Rayner says questions over her tax are a ‘smear’5Blood test reveals best lung cancer treatment6Why Trump may reap billions in a stock market merger7’I want the £45,000 state pension that was stolen from me’8Apple becomes the latest tech giant under siege9Concerns raised over Steve Barclay’s role in waste project10The 12-year-old Gazan girl who lost her family overnight
[ad_1] Their rivalry underpins a big divide in the nation, regarded as a beacon of West African democracy.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSenegal President Macky Sall rejects blame for election chaosPublished46 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Senegal President Macky Sall: ‘I will not apologise because I did nothing wrong’By Waihiga Mwaura & Wedaeli ChibelushiBBC News, Dakar and LondonSenegal’s president has told the BBC he does not regret delaying this year’s elections, a move that sparked deadly protests.Macky Sall said he did not make the decision alone – he was responding to concerns raised by parliamentarians.After a violent backlash, many feared the relatively stable nation was slipping into political crisis.But the attempt to push the election back by 10 months was blocked by Senegal’s top court.The vote will now take place on Sunday – a month after it was initially due.”I have no apology to make, I have done nothing wrong,” President Sall told the BBC. “All the actions that have been taken have been within the framework of the law and regulations.” Live updates from across AfricaSenegal election crisis: ‘We feel betrayed by President Macky Sall’With just three weeks to go before the 25 February election, Mr Sall announced that it would be delayed, a move that was later approved by parliament.Critics accused Mr Sall of trying to stay on beyond his term of office, which the president denied. He argued that the delay was needed to resolve a dispute over the eligibility of presidential candidates.He says it was opposition politicians who raised these concerns.”If it had not been for the National Assembly which passed the law, which referred it to me, there would not have been the postponement of the election,” he said.Mr Sall’s announcement sparked violent clashes between police and protesters, in which three people died.Many feared that Senegal’s reputation as a bastion of democracy in an unstable region was on the line.Image source, AFPImage caption, The president’s plans to delay the election sparked widespread protestsSenegal has had three peaceful handovers of power since independence and is the only country in mainland West Africa that has not experienced a coup.Mr Sall told the BBC that the recent unrest “shows that there was an information campaign targeting Senegal and its president”, as there is “just one month” between the original election date and when the vote will now take place.He added: “I am truly surprised by the value judgements made about me. If I wanted to stay, I would simply be a candidate. In Africa, everyone can have five terms if they wanted. “If that had been my decision, no-one could have stopped me, except the Senegalese people who vote.”Last week, Senegal’s main opposition leader and one of Mr Sall’s fiercest critics Ousmane Sonko and his party’s presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye were released from prison under a presidential amnesty.Mr Sonko has been prosecuted on a series of charges, all of which he says were politically motivated as a way of excluding him from the election.Because of a conviction of immoral behaviour with a minor, he was barred from contesting and Mr Faye is standing in his place.Some leading opposition candidates were also excluded from the previous election in 2019.But President Sall denied that the charges against his rivals were politically motivated. “It is not because you are a politician that you should not answer for your actions before the law,” he said.He also said Mr Sonko, and others, would have been able to stand if the elections had been delayed for longer.”We would have had the possibility of having amnesty, which would have given them back a certain number of rights,” Mr Sall said.President Sall has served two terms in office – the maximum allowed by Senegal’s constitution.In his interview with the BBC, he repeated his pledge not to overstay.”If the next president is not elected on the 24th [March], I’m leaving on 2 April regardless. That is the deadline, and I don’t intend to stay on another day,” he said.Amadou Ba, who was Mr Sall’s prime minister until he stood down to campaign, and Mr Faye are seen as the favourites among the 19 candidates.If none of them gains more than 50% of the vote, there will be a second round.More on Senegal’s 2024 election:’If I were president’: Senegalese children organise own pollOusmane Sonko: Senegalese youth hero or rabble-rouser?Related TopicsMacky SallTop StoriesLive. Varadkar resigns as taoiseach for ‘personal and political’ reasonsFamine looms in Sudan as civil war survivors tell of killings and rapesPublished12 hours agoLive. Sunak and Starmer argue over economy and Rwanda plan at PMQsFeaturesBafta TV Awards: The list of nominationsHow Kate body-double conspiracy theory spread on social mediaI took three bullets to stop Princess Anne’s kidnap. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUkraine Russia war: US warns Avdiivka could fallPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, “I will die here”: Evacuation “angels” help front-line town’s last residents fleeBy Jaroslav LukivBBC NewsThe US has warned that Russia could seize Ukraine’s key eastern town of Avdiivka – the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in recent months. “Avdiivka is at risk of falling into Russian control,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, citing Ukraine’s ammunition shortages. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to do everything to “save as many Ukrainian lives as possible”.Russian troops have made gains in Avdiivka, threatening to encircle it.The town – which has been almost completely destroyed – is seen as a gateway to nearby Donetsk, the regional Ukrainian capital seized by Russian-backed fighters in 2014 and later illegitimately annexed by Moscow.Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.Ukraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined town Nothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaAt Thursday’s briefing in Washington, Mr Kirby said Avdiivka could fall largely “because the Ukrainian forces on the ground are running out of artillery ammunition”.”Russia is sending wave after wave of conscript forces to attack Ukrainian positions,” he said. “And because Congress has yet to pass the supplemental bill, we have not been able to provide Ukraine with the artillery shells that they desperately need to disrupt these Russian assaults.”Russian forces are now reaching Ukrainian trenches in Avdiivka, and they’re beginning to overwhelm Ukrainian defences.”Earlier this week, the US Senate approved a $95bn (£75bn) foreign aid package – including $60bn for Ukraine – after months of political wrangling, but it faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives.Ukraine is critically dependent on weapons supplies from the US and other Western allies to be able to continue fighting Russia – a much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.Nato Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg warned on Thursday that the US failure to approve continued military assistance to Ukraine was already having an impact on the battlefield.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Smoke rises over an industrial site in Avdiivka on ThursdayIn his video address late on Thursday, President Zelensky said: “We are doing everything we can to ensure that our warriors have enough managerial and technological capabilities to save as many Ukrainian lives as possible.”On Friday, Mr Zelensky is visiting Berlin and Paris where is expected to sign security pacts with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.A similar agreement on security co-operation was signed between Ukraine and the UK in January.Late on Thursday, Ukrainian General Oleksandr Tarnavsky admitted that “fierce battles” were taking place “within” Avdiivka.”We value every piece of Ukrainian land, but the highest value and priority for us is the preservation of the life of a Ukrainian soldier,” he said.Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy acknowledged that Ukrainian troops in Avdiivka were being forced to “sometimes move to more advantageous positions… in some places leaving positions”.Some Ukrainian soldiers have privately admitted the town could fall at any moment.”We’re upset,” Ukrainian officer Oleksii, from Ukraine’s 110th Mechanised Brigade in the Avdiivka area, told the BBC earlier this week, standing beside a huge mobile artillery piece as Russian guns boomed in the distance.”Currently we have two shells, but we have no [explosive] charges for them… so we can’t fire them. As of now, we have run out of shells,” said Oleksii. He suggested that the shortages were widespread and having a dramatic impact on the fighting in Avdiivka.”We feel a very strong responsibility for our guys fighting right now in the town, armed only with assault rifles.”Ukraine’s newly appointed commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited the frontline in the Avdiivka area this week, acknowledging that the situation there was “difficult”.He said the Russian military did not “count losses”, using its troops as cannon fodder.Kyiv says an elite Ukrainian brigade has now been sent to Avdiivka and reserve artillery has been deployed.In unverified reports, Russian military bloggers said on Thursday that a key Ukrainian defence position in southern Avdiivka – known as Zenit – was now under Moscow’s control.Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaUkraineMore on this storyUkraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined townPublished15 hours agoNothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaPublished30 JanuaryFull cemeteries and empty homes: Ukrainians struggle to endurePublished1 day agoThe Ukrainians ‘disappearing’ in Russia’s prisonsPublished6 days agoTop StoriesLive. 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