Karim Wade, the son of Senegal's former president and the country's leading politician, has renounced his French citizenship to pave the way for a run in next month's presidential election.
Wade said in a statement to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday that the French interior minister had confirmed his waiver. His dual citizenship with France and Senegal is a subject of debate, as Senegal's constitution only allows Senegalese to run for office.
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The announcement comes days before the final list of candidates is announced and weeks before Senegal's presidential elections, scheduled for the end of February.
The Senegalese flag is reflected against a cloudy sky in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 17, 2022. (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket, Getty Images)
Another candidate, Tierno Alassán Sal, has launched an appeal to the Constitutional Council to invalidate Wade's candidacy.
Wade, who is seen as one of the main candidates, is a member of the Senegalese Democratic Party. The party ran the country from 2000 to 2012 under his father, former President Abdoulaye Wade.
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In 2013, the younger Wade was indicted on corruption charges and served three years in prison before fleeing to Qatar.
