Senegal internet back after election delay triggers protests

The F24 platform, a large group of civil society organisations behind past demonstrations, and the opposition presidential candidate Khalifa Sall, a former mayor of the capital, Dakar, have called the delay an "institutional coup". West Africa's main political and economic bloc ECOWAS on Tuesday urged Senegalese politicians to take urgent steps to re-establish an electoral calendar in line with the constitution.

Senegal has restored mobile internet service access after two days of curfew-style restrictions to contain unrest linked to the abrupt postponement of this month's presidential election, internet monitor Netblocks said on Wednesday.

Authorities had temporarily suspended access from Sunday night after President Macky Sall's postponement of the Feb. 25 vote triggered protests in the capital Dakar. After a chaotic parliamentary session, lawmakers on Monday voted to hold the election on Dec. 15, sealing an extension of Sall's mandate that has provoked international alarm and a backlash from the opposition in the West African nation.

The unprecedented postponement has undermined Senegal's reputation for democratic stability in a region that has seen a string of military takeovers in recent years and constitutional manoeuvres to extend presidential terms. Demonstrations in the capital Dakar against the move on Sunday and Monday were fairly small and dispersed by riot police with tear gas.

Sall, who has reached the constitutional limit of two terms in power, said he delayed the vote due to a dispute over the candidate list and alleged corruption within the constitutional body that handled the list. He has called for a national dialogue, including civil society groups, to ensure the delayed election is free and fair.

But Forum Civil, the Senegalese arm of Transparency International said it had refused the invitation to talks in protest at the election delay. The F24 platform, a large group of civil society organisations behind past demonstrations, and the opposition presidential candidate Khalifa Sall, a former mayor of the capital, Dakar, have called the delay an "institutional coup".

West Africa's main political and economic bloc ECOWAS on Tuesday urged Senegalese politicians to take urgent steps to re-establish an electoral calendar in line with the constitution. Decried by the opposition as a tactic to cling to power, Sall's postponement has raised fears of a repeat of violent protests over concerns that the president had ambitions for a third term and the political stifling of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.

Rights groups have criticised crackdowns on the opposition, internet restrictions, and the withdrawal of a private TV channel's licence as efforts to quell dissent. S&P Global Ratings said on Wednesday that uncertainty could weigh on capital inflows and investor confidence.

"Although we do not foresee a scenario where the current president clings to power indefinitely, these developments will likely erode confidence in Senegal's relative institutional strength," it said in a report.