Senegal President Macky Sall has said he will stand down on April 2, when his term is due to end, but it is still unclear when elections will be held to elect his successor.
He said the date of the elections will depend on the planned national dialogue that is set to begin on Monday, which includes civil society groups, political parties and candidates.
His announcement assuages fears that he was planning to extend his term amid a political crisis.
Mr. Sall has been under pressure to announce an election date since attempting to delay it earlier this month.
He had wanted to postpone the elections to December so that disputes over the eligibility of other candidates could be resolved.
But the country’s top court said the delay was unconstitutional and called for the election to be held “as soon as possible.”.
On Thursday, Mr. Sall said he didn’t think elections could be held before he stepped down.
It’s unclear who will be leading the country after Mr. Sall’s mandate expires and before the elections are completed. Mr. Sall said he was certain there would not be a void.
He said he would consider freeing his rivals, including opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, whose detention led to nationwide protests last year.
The election delay, a first in the country’s history, spurred protests in the country and led to the restriction of mobile internet access to prevent “threats and disturbances to public order.”
Analysts express concern that the election crisis could heighten instability in West Africa, especially given the region’s ongoing challenges with an increase in coups and threats to democratic institutions.