Senegal’s President Macky Sall has declared he will not run for a third term in next year’s election, ending years of uncertainty over his political future that helped fuel deadly opposition protests last month.In a speech carried live on his official Facebook page, Sall maintained on Monday that Senegal’s constitution would have allowed his candidacy despite having already been elected to a second term in 2019.

Rumours that the 61-year-old leader would try to extend his stay in power have led to bouts of unrest since 2021 in which dozens have been killed, shaking Senegal’s reputation for calm in a restive region. Sall was first elected in 2012 for a seven-year term after prevailing against then-President Abdoulaye Wade, whose decision to seek a controversial third term prompted violent street demonstrations. ade ultimately conceded defeat after a run-off between him and Sall, his former protege.

Sall was elected again in 2019 for a five-year term, following a constitutional revision that set a two-term presidential limit. The president’s supporters have called for him to run again, arguing that his first term under the prior constitution should not count. Sall has not designated a political successor and in recent months, has been coy about another term.