On Monday July 3, Senegalese President Macky Sall surprised the nation during his televised address, announcing that he would not run for another term in the next presidential elections. This decision, largely anticipated, puts an end to several months, even years, of speculation on his possible candidacy.

“ My dear compatriots, my long and carefully considered decision is not to be a candidate in the next election of February 25, 2024. And this, even if the constitution gives me the right to do so. Indeed, since the constitutional revision of 2016, the legal debate has been definitively settled by the decision of the Constitutional Council n°1-C-2016 of February 12, 2016,  ” declared President Macky Sall.

This decision by President Macky Sall is a first in Senegalese political history. This announcement brings a “big sigh of relief” to the country, where many citizens feared that the declaration of the president’s candidacy would lead to new demonstrations.

President Sall added, “I know that this decision will surprise all the many whose sincere admiration, trust and loyalty I know. It will also surprise those who wish to see me still guide the construction of the country which is finding its marks more and more. »

Indeed, the country remains marked by the violent riots following the conviction of Ousmane Sonko, on July 1 and 2, which left “16 dead according to the authorities and nearly 30 dead according to other sources”. This latent fear of civil unrest gives Sall’s decision a crucial dimension for national stability.

With this announcement, President Sall will therefore end his term on April 2, 2024, paving the way for an election that will appoint a new head of state for Senegal. This position, respecting the Constitution, underlines the strengthening of Senegalese democracy and, perhaps, initiates a precedent for his successors.

This voluntary withdrawal from the presidential race of Macky Sall, who chose to hand over in respect of the fundamental law of the country, is a novelty in the Senegalese political landscape. As the country prepares for an election without its current head of state, the question remains: who will replace Macky Sall as Senegal’s president?