The Senegalese government has declared that the country’s presidential election will take place on March 24.
The announcement comes after President Macky Sall postponed the election last month, resulting in huge demonstrations.
The president, whose term ends on April 2, has stated that he does not want to run for a third term in office.
His opponents accused him of staging a constitutional coup.
Senegal has long been seen as one of the most stable democracies in Africa.
It is the only country in mainland West Africa that has never had a military coup.
“The President of the Republic informed the Council of Ministers that the date of the presidential election had been set for Sunday 24 March,” the council of ministers said in a statement.
Authorities had attempted to move the original election scheduled for February 25 to December before Wednesday’s revelation, which led to fatal protests in the streets.
However, the Constitutional Council subsequently decided that the election for president must to happen before April 2.
Mr. Sall dissolved the cabinet earlier on Wednesday night and appointed Interior Minister Sidiki Kaba in lieu of Prime Minister Amadou Ba.
According to the presidency, this was done to allow Mr. Ba, the presidential candidate of the ruling coalition, to concentrate on his campaign.
Senegal’s president, Sall, has led the country twice; upon his election in 2012, and he promised not to stay longer than necessary.
