Senegal braces for fresh protests over election row

Senegalese lobby groups have called for peaceful protests across the country on Tuesday against the postponement of this month’s presidential election.

The Aar Sunu Election (Let’s protect our election, in Wolof language), a newly-formed political platform of about 40 groups, said the protests will start at 1500 GMT.

The protest organisers, who include opposition parties, have urged people to come out in large numbers despite a police ban.

While banning the planned march, Cherif Mouhamadou Blondin Ndiaye, the prefect of Dakar, said that the protests risked disturbing public order and hindering the free movement of people and goods.

Last week, three people were killed and hundreds arrested in protests against the delay of the election, condemned by the opposition as a "constitutional coup".

President Macky Sall controversially pushed back the 25 February vote at short notice, citing a row over the eligibility of candidates.