In 2015, the population of Senegal was estimated to be around 15 million people. The economy of Senegal was largely based on agriculture and fishing, and it had strong ties with other African countries as well as the European Union. It had a high level of foreign investments which contributed to its economic growth. Politically, Senegal was a republic ruled by President Macky Sall since 2012. In 2015, His Excellency Aminata Toure served as Prime Minister while His Excellency Macky Sall served as President of the Republic. The Parliament of Senegal was composed of two chambers: National Assembly and Senate. In terms of defence, Senegal had strong military ties with France which it joined in 1960 as part of its post-colonial security policy. Senegal also maintained strong diplomatic relations with its neighboring countries in Africa as well as other countries around the world. See ehealthfacts for Senegal in the year of 2005.
Yearbook 2015
Senegal. At the end of March, Karim Wade, son of former President Abdoulaye Wade, was sentenced to six years in prison and the equivalent of SEK 1.9 billion in fines for corruption. According to COUNTRYAAH, Dakar is the capital of Senegal which is located in Western Africa. Wade had hidden money in companies registered in Panama and the British Virgin Islands. However, Wade was acquitted on several charges. His defender dismissed the trial as politically motivated and the verdict appealed. Wade’s father called for protests against the verdict and supporters of the Senegal Democratic Party (PDS), to which the Wade family belongs, gathered for rallies outside Karim Wade’s house. Some day before the verdict fell, PDS had appointed Karim Wade as the party’s candidate in the 2017 presidential election. Because of his extensive responsibilities, he was popularly called “minister of heaven and earth”. In August, the Supreme Court upheld both the prison sentence and the fine imposed. The judgments against five other former government members who were also sentenced to prison for corruption in March were also upheld by the Supreme Court.
- Also see AbbreviationFinder.org for Senegal country abbreviations, including geography, history, economy and politics.
At the end of January, Senegal reopened the border with Guinea. The border was closed in August 2014 due to the Ebola epidemic in the neighboring country in the south. In early May, the government announced that Senegal would send 2,100 soldiers to Yemen to support Saudi Arabia’s actions against the Huthirbels.
After a 19-month investigation, in April a judge from Burkina Faso could be appointed to lead the trial of Hissène Habré, president of Chad in 1982–90. The trial began in a special court in July. Habré, who has lived in exile in Senegal since 1990, was charged with crimes against humanity during his years in power. The president disputed the court’s right to convict him but was forced to appear. His defense attorneys failed, however, and the judge appointed three new ones in their place. The trial was then postponed until September so that the lawyers would have time to prepare the defense. When the negotiations resumed, Habré was brought into the courtroom by masked security guards because he refused to participate in the trial. He should also have refused to communicate with his defense lawyers.
In October, it was announced that the trial was postponed again, this time to sometime in early 2016.
September
Senegalese soldiers in Gambia sick in covid-19
September 10
A large number of Senegalese soldiers who are part of the Ecowas force in Gambia have been infected by covid-19. The infected soldiers have been quarantined at a hotel in the coastal town of Guéréro, about 60 km south of Dakar. Other Senegalese soldiers, who make up the bulk of the Ecowas force, gather in the Senegalese village of Toubacouta, just north of the Gambia border.
Senegal is suffering from severe flooding
September 6
Severe torrential rains, in which the country receives as much rain in seven hours as it normally does in three months, cause floods in many parts of Senegal. At least four people die in connection with the storm. Authorities are accused of being late in assisting those affected, and questions are being raised from several quarters about what has been done with the more than $ 1 billion that the president has set aside to combat floods. Residents of a suburb of Dakar, Keur Massar, gather to protest, but the demonstration is stopped by security forces.
Rappers plan to build new city
1 September
The rapper Akon, who spent much of his childhood in the United States, plans to invest $ 6 billion in building a new city on the coast, some 10 miles south of the capital Dakar. The idea is that Senegalese who currently live abroad should be welcomed back to their home country. The first building blocks of the building are now being laid in the village of Mbodiene. In Akon City, hotels, universities, various businesses and a casino will be built, which will be designed by architect Hussein Bakri. Efforts must also be made to promote African culture. The goal is for the city to accommodate 300,000 inhabitants. However, Akon does not say who or who will finance the project. Senegalese Tourism Minister Aljoner Sarr welcomes the project.