With little more than three weeks to go before the vote, the unprecedented step of delaying the poll, to an unspecified date, pitches Senegal into uncharted constitutional waters that some opposition and civil society groups said amounted to an “institutional coup.”

One opposition coalition has already vowed to challenge the move in the courts, raising the prospect of a protracted legal battle that could further muddy the democratic outlook.

Sall’s decision follows the constitutional council’s January decision to exclude some prominent contenders from the electoral list, which has fanned discontent about the election process.

Click on the player above to watch FRANCE 24’s special edition on Senegal’s election postponement.

• Senegal
• Macky Sall
• Ousmane Sonko