Senegal: Public appeal from Amnesty International to all presidential election candidates

SENEGAL: PUBLIC APPEAL FROM AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TO ALL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CANDIDATES 24 February 2012 As the first round of the Senegalese presidential elections approaches on 26 February 2012, Amnesty International is concerned about the threat of violence by armed supporters of the presidential candidates on election day or subsequently. [...] Amnesty International urges all candidates running for President, including the current Head of State Abdoulaye Wade, and all political parties, not to incite political violence. [...] For more than one month now, the authorities have banned demonstrations in violation of the right to freedom of expression and assembly. [...] The security forces have repeatedly used excessive force against demonstrators, killing several of them. [...] One policeman was also killed during these clashes.