Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade continued to tour his country in support of a third campaign run on Saturday, but the aftermath of his visit to the southern region of Casamance has been marred by the reported deaths of three soldiers, according to AFP.
The West African nation continues to struggle with widespread anger and international frustration following Wade's decision to run again. Following are some recent headlines surrounding the controversial Wade and events in Senegal.
* The attack by separatist rebels killed three and wounded six Senegalese troops. The region, lying to the south of Gambia and north of the border with Guinea-Bissau, has played host to the Casamance Movement of Democratic Forces (MFDC), a group seeking separation from Senegal since 1982.
* Wade had promised to resolve the long-simmering tensions with Casamance in his first 100 days as president back in 2000, but fighting continues. 23 people were killed there in November and December 2011.
* During his visit on Saturday, Wade suggested "disarmament, demining, projects" while visiting the town of Bignona, a separate AFP article reports. The projects would include five major agricultural projects
* Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador Lewis Lukens, who has been critical of Wade's decision to run again in February 26 polls, met with the president on Tuesday after being summoned by the government. While Lukens emphasized the United States doesn't favor any candidate in the race, he had said on February 7 that it was "regrettable" that the 85-year-old Wade had chosen to run again, rather than "hand over to a new generation of leaders", AFP reports.
* A rapper-led youth movement group named "Fed Up" called for a sit-in at Dakar's Obelisk Square in opposition to Wade's re-election bid, saying they would begin Tuesday evening and remain there permanently, the AFP reports. The primary civil society opposition group, the June 23 Movement (M23) is also planning activities in coming days, in protest of a campaign that they and other critics deem to be unconstitutional due to Senegal's two term presidential limit.
* Presidential terms in Senegal last 7 years. Changes to the constitution in 2008 are Wade's justification for running once more, an assertion that was backed by the nation's highest court on January 27. Riots followed that decision, leading to four deaths.
* There is a travel alert for Senegal that's been issued by the U.S. State Department, urging all citizens to avoid travel to the country between January 16 and March 2 due to the potential for violent confrontations. The alert singles out January 27, the day when the Constitutional Council met, February 6, the start of campaigning, and February 26, the day for actual voting.
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.
There are no comments yet