The United States and the Centre for Democracy and Development have jointly condemned the postponement of Senegal’s highly anticipated presidential election, originally slated for February 25.

A spokesperson for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, expressed deep concern over the delay in a statement issued. Miller emphasized that the postponement contradicts Senegal’s longstanding democratic tradition.

“The United States is deeply concerned by actions taken to delay Senegal’s February 25 presidential election, which run contrary to Senegal’s strong democratic tradition,” he said

Similarly, the CDD denounced the postponement in a separate statement, highlighting its adverse impact on the electoral timeline and its infringement upon the rule of law and democratic rights of the Senegalese people.

The CDD emphasized the importance of upholding the democratic process and urged the Senegalese government to honor the sanctity of elections, which are fundamental to democracy, enabling citizens to exercise their right to choose their leaders.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, called on the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States to urgently address the worsening human rights and rule of law crisis in Senegal.