Senegal’s ruling coalition has conceded defeat in the capital and a key southern city in municipal elections seen as a key test of President Macky Sall’s popularity.
“Our desire to conquer Dakar and Ziguinchor has not been conclusive,” the Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition said in an emailed statement late Sunday. The Yewwi Askan Wi opposition coalition won the mayorship of both cities, according to provisional results.
Dakar, which has been governed by the opposition since 2009, picked Barthelemy Dias as mayor-elect, according to the unofficial tally. Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who came third in 2019 presidential polls, won Sunday’s election in Ziguinchor.
