New round of protests called against Abdoulaye Wade's controversial move to seek third term of office in Sunday's vote.
Senegalese are continuing their protests against incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade's decision to seek a third term in office, erecting barricades and pelting police with rocks just days before a presidential election.
The state-owned news service confirmed the death on Monday of a young man in a suburb of the capital Dakar as demonstrations intensified, and the opposition said they would organise more protests.
Several people have been killed since the street clashes began late last month after Wade's candidacy was validated by the country's top legal body.
The 85-year-old Wade, who came to power in 2000, is insisting on running again, despite the deepening unrest and calls from both France, Senegal's former colonial master, and the US to hand power to the next generation.
Wade will face more than a dozen rivals in the election, including former allies Macky Sall and Idrissa Seck. A runoff will be held if no candidate wins more than half the total vote.
Adama Gaye, a Senegalese journalist, told Al Jazeera the situation in the country was "extremely serious" and branded Wade an "autocrat", adding that he is "power hungry".
"Nobody is going to accept what he [Wade] is doing," he told Al Jazeera.
Clashes took on a religious dimension in the normally tolerant West African Muslim nation on Sunday with hundreds gathering outside a mosque as religious leaders met to discuss an incident in which police used grenade launchers and hit the wall of a mosque.
Footage of the incident shown on Senegalese TV indicated that the police had not shot inside the mosque, only outside where a crowd had gathered.
But the cloud of gas enveloped worshippers praying both inside and outside the shrine, deeply offending Senegal's largest Muslim association which owns the mosque.
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Source has more, including video
I know we are still getting the tag situation worked out, but Senegal doesn't have a tag, so leaving this request here for future reference
Senegalese are continuing their protests against incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade's decision to seek a third term in office, erecting barricades and pelting police with rocks just days before a presidential election.
The state-owned news service confirmed the death on Monday of a young man in a suburb of the capital Dakar as demonstrations intensified, and the opposition said they would organise more protests.
Several people have been killed since the street clashes began late last month after Wade's candidacy was validated by the country's top legal body.
The 85-year-old Wade, who came to power in 2000, is insisting on running again, despite the deepening unrest and calls from both France, Senegal's former colonial master, and the US to hand power to the next generation.
Wade will face more than a dozen rivals in the election, including former allies Macky Sall and Idrissa Seck. A runoff will be held if no candidate wins more than half the total vote.
Adama Gaye, a Senegalese journalist, told Al Jazeera the situation in the country was "extremely serious" and branded Wade an "autocrat", adding that he is "power hungry".
"Nobody is going to accept what he [Wade] is doing," he told Al Jazeera.
Clashes took on a religious dimension in the normally tolerant West African Muslim nation on Sunday with hundreds gathering outside a mosque as religious leaders met to discuss an incident in which police used grenade launchers and hit the wall of a mosque.
Footage of the incident shown on Senegalese TV indicated that the police had not shot inside the mosque, only outside where a crowd had gathered.
But the cloud of gas enveloped worshippers praying both inside and outside the shrine, deeply offending Senegal's largest Muslim association which owns the mosque.
___________________________
Source has more, including video
I know we are still getting the tag situation worked out, but Senegal doesn't have a tag, so leaving this request here for future reference
Full stop. Wait. Is Senegal a theocracy with an official
State religion, mandated and supported?
If not, I don't think this is accurate. Or entirely appropriate.