The Senegalese government has announced that the country’s presidential elections will be held on March 24th.
The announcement comes as tensions rose in the West African country after President Macky Sall postponed elections last month, sparking widespread protests.
Congress also passed an amnesty law for crimes related to the protests.
The president’s opponents accused him of a constitutional coup, but the president denied that he was seeking an extension to his term.
Mr Sall’s 12-year term ends on April 2nd.
The announcement of the election date was welcomed by opposition members.
Senegal has long been considered one of Africa’s most stable democracies.
It is the only country in mainland West Africa that has never experienced a military coup.
Before Wednesday’s announcement, authorities had sought to postpone the original February 25 election until December, sparking deadly unrest in the streets.
However, the Constitutional Council then decided that presidential elections must be held by April 2nd date.
On Wednesday night, Mr Sall dissolved the government and replaced Prime Minister Amadou Ba with Interior Minister Siddiqui Kabbah.
According to the Blue House, this was done to allow Tomoe, the ruling coalition’s presidential candidate, to focus on his campaign activities.
President Sall served two terms as Senegal’s leader, but when he was first elected in 2012 he promised not to exceed that term.