Catherine Lena Kelly

Catherine Lena Kelly is director of engagement at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

October 2025, Volume 36, Issue 4

Why Senegal’s Democracy Survived

After a turbulent election cycle, with an incumbent leader postponing the vote and putting his thumb on the scale, voters elected a new president and, for the third time in Senegalese history, a new ruling party. How did the country keep its democracy from crumbling?

July 2012, Volume 23, Issue 3

Senegal: What Will Turnover Bring?

Although Senegal has often been regarded as a democracy, its regime should more properly have been classified as competitive authoritarian. Will the 2012 election of a new president prove to be a turning point?