Votes counted in Senegal after tightly contested presidential election

Election officials open ballot boxes before counting the votes in Dakar, Senegal (Sylvain Cherkaoui/AP)

People in Senegal have voted in a tightly contested presidential race following months of uncertainty that has tested the West African nation’s reputation as a stable democracy in a region shaken by a wave of coups in recent years.

The election comes after President Macky Sall unsuccessfully tried to postpone the February 25 vote until the end of the year, sparking violent protests.