ECOWAS sends mission to ensure free and fair election in Senegal

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed an observer mission ahead of Senegal's presidential election on Sunday, March 24, to help ensure a free, fair and peaceful process.

Head of the ECOWAS observer mission, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, met with various key stakeholders in Dakar this week.

According to Professor Gambari, the overriding wish of the regional organization is for “a peaceful, and transparent exercise that reflects the will of the people of Senegal.”

The 130-member ECOWAS observer mission, consisting of long and short-term observers, aims to "demonstrate commitment of ECOWAS to accompany the process to a successful conclusion," Gambari stated.

The ECOWAS delegation met with Senegal's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, S.E.M Mankeur Ndiaye.

In a press statement shared by the regional bloc, Ndiaye assured the observers that Senegal is "ready to conduct free and fair polls with necessary equipment and adequate security measures being put in place."

Civil society representatives also voiced some pre-election challenges to the ECOWAS observers.

Djibril Gningue of the Programme to Support Educational Change and Transformation said his organization has highlighted "some of the challenges observed by the Civil Societies Organisations in the processes leading to the election and current efforts being made to address them."

The elections was initially fraught with controversies after President Macky Sall of Senegal postponed it from the original date of February 25, to December 15.