The decision effectively closes the door, for now, on potential legal action linked to the violent demonstrations that rocked the country during that period.

Parliament had voted earlier this month to amend the controversial law, initially passed in March 2024 under former President Macky Sall. It was intended to draw a line under a tense political chapter, offering blanket pardons for offences committed amid widespread protests. But critics argue the law has done more to bury the truth than heal national wounds.

The Constitutional Council’s rejection of the amendment comes as a blow to victims’ families and human rights groups, who had hoped to see justice pursued for those killed during the clashes. According to Amnesty International, at least 65 people, mostly young men, died during the unrest, many from gunshot wounds allegedly inflicted by security personnel.

The protests flared up repeatedly in the years leading to the March 2024 elections, driven by fears that Sall was manoeuvring to extend his time in office. Tensions ran high as opposition figures were jailed or barred from running, fuelling anger in the streets.

While the government has defended the amnesty as a necessary step toward reconciliation, others see it as a shield for impunity. “This ruling sends a troubling message,” one Dakar-based activist told reporters. “Families who lost loved ones deserve answers, not silence.”

--ChannelAfrica--