DAKAR, Senegal — Senegal’s political tensions are rising as opposition parties pressure President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to announce a date for the country’s next local elections.

The opposition is calling for clarity on the municipal and departmental elections, whose current local officials have mandates due to expire in January. However, the presidential decrees needed to formally launch the electoral process, including setting the voting date and opening voter registration, have yet to be issued.

The issue is becoming an important political test for President Faye as Senegal’s political landscape remains divided following his break with former ally Ousmane Sonko.

Opposition parties are warning against any extension of local officials’ mandates and are urging authorities to respect the expected electoral timetable.

The timing of the local elections could become a major political battleground, potentially reshaping local power structures ahead of Senegal’s 2029 presidential race.

The growing dispute is putting additional attention on Senegal’s electoral institutions and the government’s handling of the next phase of the country’s democratic calendar.