Speaking to L'Express in an exclusive interview on a wide range of issues, Senegal's President Macky Sall, who is also the president of the African Union, said opposition Ousmane Sonko's fate would have been long resolved if Senegal were not a true democracy when quizzed on accusations that he intends to exclude Sonko from next year's presidential race.

"In a rule of law, a political leader cannot seek to evade the law by exploiting the street. What is happening is not acceptable in any democracy. An individual cannot block the capital, Dakar, on the sole pretext that he is summoned to court. If Senegal were not an authentic democracy, believe me, its fate would have been settled long ago..."

Quizzed on whether he fears riots like the March 2021 riot, President Sall said no one can intimidate power.

"I don't know what can happen. I am not a diviner. But one thing is certain: those who imagine they can intimidate power and block justice are deluding themselves. Everyone will have to assume their responsibilities."

On running for a third term despite worries from civil societies and western partners and questions surrounding its legality, President Sall would not be drawn into giving a definitive answer, however, he admitted that there are calls from his camp to go for yet another term.