DAKAR: Senegalese security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the capital on Friday amid growing frustration over the delay of a presidential election, which reportedly resulted in the death of a student.
Reports from RFM radio reported that a student lost their life in the northern town of Saint-Louis as demonstrations swept across the West African nation.
Police intervened with tear gas to prevent demonstrators from reaching the Place de la Nation in central Dakar, where a planned rally was set to take place.
Hundreds of protesters hurled stones at law enforcement officers and ignited fires with burning tires as authorities sealed off the square.
Public discontent surged after President Macky Sall postponed the presidential election originally slated for February 25 to December.
Thierno Alassane Sall, one of the 20 presidential candidates, expressed dismay over the situation, stating, “The situation is deplorable. We came to pray and we got gassed. It’s intolerable,” in an interview with AFP.
Clashes expanded to various parts of the capital, leading to the closure of major roads, railways, and primary markets.
Reports on social media indicated that demonstrations also unfolded in other towns across the country.
While a local hospital source confirmed the death of the student in Saint-Louis to AFP, authorities have yet to provide an official casualty count.
Additionally, police dispersed a protest involving around 200 individuals in Nioro du Rip, situated approximately 250 kilometers (150 miles) east of Dakar.
