Senegal religious leaders call for inclusive dialogue on constitutional reform

The National Council of Imams and Ulama of Senegal (CNIOS) issued a solemn appeal urging national responsibility and peace amid rising tensions over proposed constitutional reforms. It stressed that any amendment must be pursued with dialogue, serenity and the public interest, and called on the President and the Assembly speaker to use their moral authority to foster national conciliation.

Similarly, the National Council of the Catholic Laity of Senegal (CNLS) sent an open letter to President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye expressing “deep concern” over what it sees as a rushed constitutional revision. The council urged broad national consensus, outlining a four‑step process involving parliamentary review, consultations with parties, religious and civil‑society actors, public education and a final referendum. Both bodies emphasized that the Constitution is the nation’s foundational pact and warned that ill‑prepared changes could undermine institutional stability and international confidence.