Senegal’s President Macky Sall has announced that he will resign on April 2, when his term ends.
However, it is still unclear when elections will be held to choose his successor.
He said the election schedule was scheduled to begin on Monday and depended on the schedule of the national dialogue, which will involve civil society organizations, political parties and candidates.
“On 2 April 2024, my mission as the head of Senegal comes to an end…I would like this debate to be clearly settled,” he said in a television interview.
His announcement eased fears that he was planning to extend his term amid the political crisis.
Mr Sall has been under pressure to announce an election date since he tried to postpone the election earlier this month.
He wanted to postpone the election until December to resolve disputes over the qualifications of other candidates.
However, the country’s highest court ruled that the delay was unconstitutional and called for elections to be held “as soon as possible.”
On Thursday, Mr Sall said he did not believe an election would be held before he resigned.
It is unclear who will lead the country after Mr. Sall’s term ends and until elections are completed. Mr Sall said he was confident there was no gap.
He said he would consider releasing rivals including opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was jailed last year and sparked nationwide protests.