In advance of the Senegalese February 26 presidential elections, governments and international organizations are calling for a peaceful transition.
The streets of Dakar have been marked by violence, as protesting opponents to 85-year-old President Abdoulaye Wade's third term bid have staged daily demonstrations. Security forces have been deployed to enforce a ban on demonstrations.
Here's the latest information on the upcoming elections.
* The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has sent 150 election observers, according to a press release from the organization. They noted that there were 5,080,295 registered voters in the country and that ECOWAS was deploying observers under requirements "to send observer missions to Member States conducting presidential elections as part of its determination to ensure democratic convergence across the sub region."
* The African Union (AU) stated in a press release that it has also sent observers on February 18 under a mission headed by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
* The AP reported on Friday that Obasanjo met with pop star Youssou Ndour and other opposition leaders in an effort to defuse tensions in the country. The opposition is saying they will make Senegal "ungovernable" if Wade runs on Sunday. Six people have died in protests since January.
* Wade was permitted to run despite implementing a two term limit during his own presidency. The decision was made by the country's constitutional court, five members of whom Wade appointed. They reportedly received new cars and a $10,000 salary increase ahead of the vote.
* The U.S. State Department mentioned Senegal during a Wednesday press briefing. Deputy Spokesman Mark C. Toner told reporters that the U.S. Agency for International Development "have allocated $850,000 to train 1,000 independent election observers for Senegal's presidential elections as well as the upcoming parliamentary polls." He noted that the U.S. condemns any violence and emphasized Senegal's democratic electoral traditions.
* The European Union has demanded that Senegal lift the ban on protests, according to an AFP report.
* On Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for an "orderly and transparent poll" according to a press release from his spokesman. He said that political actors should "refrain from using or inciting violence during the electoral period and appeals once again for all electoral disputes to be resolved through legal and peaceful means."
* On Monday, Wade spokesman said that a candidate has recruited militia in an effort to destabilize the country. The AP reports that Serigne Mbacke Ndiaye told reporters that 200 ex-soldiers led by a colonel were recruiting youth to create "chaos." The candidate had not been identified.
Shawn Humphrey is a former contributor to The Flint Journal and an amateur Africanist, focusing his personal studies on human rights and political issues on the continent.
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