Youssou N'Dour to run for president

The world renowned Senegalese singer declared "I am a candidate" and described his candidature as a "supreme patriotic duty"

N'Dour will run against incumbent Abdoulaye Wade, who is seeking a controversial third term.

Wade was first elected president in 2000 for a seven-year term, and re-elected in 2007 for five years after a constitutional reform shortened presidential terms. In 2008 the seven-year term was re-introduced, raising confusion over whether Wade had exhausted his two-term limit.

N'Dour was born in October 1959 in Dakar to a modest family and is an icon in his home country. He has collaborated with Peter Gabriel, Sting, Wyclef Jean, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and other famous names.

The singer is heavily involved in social and political issues. In 1985 he organised a concert for the release of South Africa's then-apartheid prisoner Nelson Mandela who went on to become the country's first black president. He has also been involved in a number of charity concerts.