The Monocle Minute

These are dangerous days for Senegal, long considered a beacon of democracy in Africa. On Monday there was chaos in parliament when some opposition lawmakers were forcibly removed by security. Then a crucial vote delayed the country’s much anticipated presidential election, initially scheduled for later this month, to December. When I reported for Monocle from Dakar, Senegal’s capital, in October, it was clear that people wanted change, particularly young Senegalese. The news that they will have to wait to cast their ballots has already prompted violent clashes and many fear that worse is to come.

My contacts in Dakar talk of a sense of deep foreboding as Senegal enters uncharted political waters. Since gaining independence in 1960, the West African nation has never postponed a presidential election or, unlike several of its neighbours, witnessed a coup. It wasn’t surprising that the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States expressed concern over incumbent Macky Sall’s decision to delay the ballot. The International Monetary Fund has warned of the risks to what is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Key figures in the country’s vibrant cultural sector are also worried, not least because Dakar is due to host Dak’Art, Africa’s biggest biennial, in May. Sall, who previously insisted that he would not seek a third term, said that he delayed the poll because of a dispute over the candidate list. But others claim that he either wants to stay in power or is worried that his handpicked successor will lose.

Last October the rising anti-Sall sentiment among the younger generation was particularly evident to me. Many support the main opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, who is disqualified from running. In June, Dakar was rocked by clashes between Sonko loyalists and security forces. Sall has been a prominent critic of recent coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. By testing Senegal’s constitution in such a way, the once admired statesman might be leading his country down a similar path.

Mary Fitzgerald is Monocle’s North Africa correspondent. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Iran, Russia and China announced plans this week to hold joint naval drills aimed at strengthening regional security. According to the announcement by Iranian naval commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, other nations have been invited to participate. The three countries conducted similar trilateral exercises in the Gulf of Oman in March 2023 but this year’s drills come at a time of heightened tension between the Iran-backed Houthi group and US forces in the Red Sea.

“Joe Biden’s administration has not been able to successfully deal with Iran,” Holly Dagres, nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs, tells The Monocle Minute. “Despite some of the rhetoric from Republicans in Washington, Biden says that he does not want an all-out war, so it seems unlikely that it will happen.”

It is a year since two devastating earthquakes struck southern and central Turkey and rebuilding efforts are well under way, though the government has been criticised for its slow progress. A team of 13 design practices – including homegrown studios DB Architects and KEYM, as well as international heavyweights BIG and Foster + Partners – has been working on a master plan for Antakya in Hatay province. Expected to be fully unveiled later this year, the plan will ensure that the city will be rebuilt in a resilient, sustainable way.

“We’re building from scratch but it’s important to restore the city’s sense of place,” says architect Loukia Iliopoulou, partner at Foster + Partners. Community engagement is a vital part of the planning process, which seeks to honour Antakya’s 2,300-year-old cultural heritage. “Most people have told us about the importance of streets and local shops but also smells and materials,” Iliopoulou tells The Monocle Minute. “We want to preserve people’s memories of navigating through their city.”

Monocle Radio’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco takes a look at what’s trending on the Hungarian music charts.