The Senegalese president rules out a divisive third term

Senegal’s President Macky Sall said on Monday he would not seek a third term, ending months of tension over a hypothetical candidacy that many believe violated the West African country’s constitution.

“My dear fellow citizens, after much consideration, I have decided not to stand as a candidate in the elections on February 25, 2024,” Mr Sall said in a televised address. “My 2019 term was my second and final term.”

Mr. Sall’s speech came a month after at least 16 people died government protests which were fueled in part by his refusal to say whether he would run for a third term next year.

Thousands of protesters, most of them young, had gone out into the street to protest what they saw as an authoritarian deviation from Mr Sall’s government, and against the conviction of his main political opponent, Ousmane Sonko, on charges which his supporters say were an attempt to sideline him.

The violence, which is reminiscent of deadly protests in 2021expressed concern among the Senegalese public and international observers that Senegal had ceased to be the beacon of political pluralism and stability, long regarded as a region known for frequent coups d’état and aging leaders clinging to power.

That made Mr. Sall’s announcement all the more welcome for many.

“A time bomb has just been defused,” Alioune Tine, a well-known Senegalese human rights activist, said of Mr Sall’s renunciation. “It is a huge relief for Senegal and the African continent.”

Mr Sall’s decision not to run was unusual for West and Central Africa, where some leaders have in recent years curtailed their country’s laws to stay in power.

In 2021, President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast was elected for a third term despite a constitutional rule limiting the number of presidents to two. In the Central African Republic, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra is also seeking a third term in office through a constitutional referendum scheduled for this month.

Senegal, which has never experienced a coup d’état since gaining independence from France in 1960, sees itself as a model of democracy in Africa. Many feared that Mr. Sall would change that.

Mr Sall, 61, was first elected in 2012 to a seven-year term and again in 2019 for five years after amending the constitution, which limits presidents to two terms. He argued that the constitutional amendment had reset the clock, but legal experts in Senegal and abroad rejected the claim as false.

Since 2012, Mr. Sall the development of one of Africa’s fastest growing economies, focusing on major infrastructure projects such as a new international airport, a train connecting the capitalDakar, to its suburbs and a new metropolis aimed at easing congestion in Dakar.

He also oversaw the development of a gas field off the northern coast of Senegal, which is expected to begin production next year. It could make the country of 17 million inhabitants a major producer of natural gas in Africa.

Yet, Senegalese healthcare remains underdeveloped, while youth unemployment is widespread. And under Mr. Sall’s leadership, hundreds of political opponents have been imprisoned and journalists arrested.

Senegal now faces open elections in less than eight months.

The future for Mr. Sonko, Mr. Sall’s main opponent, remains uncertain. Last month, he was sentenced to two years in prison for “corruption of youth” after a massage parlor employee accused him of rape in 2021. mr. Sonko was acquitted of rape and other charges, all of which he denied.

Mr. Sall has yet to name a political successor. On Tuesday evening, he said: “Senegal surpasses my persona and is full of leaders capable of taking the country to the next level.”