Senegal: Thousands Hold First Military Parade In Four Years Amid Political Tensions

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Thousands of Senegalese have taken to the streets to celebrate the country’s Independence Day, in a show of patriotism just a week after political tensions led to violent clashes between security forces and opposition supporters.

People lined the streets of the capital Dakar to watch the first military parade to be held in the city in four years following a break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senegal, which gained independence from France in 1960, is widely viewed as one of the most stable democracies in West Africa, but concern that President Macky Sall may try to run for a third term has fuelled protests over the last few years.