“We are particularly alarmed by reports of security forces removing by force parliamentarians who opposed a bill to delay the election, resulting in a National Assembly vote that cannot be considered legitimate given the conditions under which it took place,” the U.S. State Department states in a press release.
“The United States urges the Government of Senegal to move forward with its presidential election in accordance with the Constitution and electoral laws. We also call on the Senegalese government to restore full Internet access immediately and to ensure that freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression, including for members of the press, are fully respected. The United States will remain engaged with all parties and regional partners in the days ahead.”
In similar vein, the U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement after Senegal's president, Macky Sall, postponed elections in Senegal.
"The postponement of Senegal's presidential election puts the country on a dangerous path towards dictatorship, and must not be allowed to stand. President Macky Sall's blatant disregard for the Senegalese constitution and flagrant disrespect for the Senegalese people's support for democracy undermines decades of progress since independence in what was once considered one of the most reliable and vibrant democracies in Africa. President Sall must reverse this reckless decision, and ensure elections are held before the end of his constitutionally mandated term.”
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