Updated October 10, 2023
Senegal
Senegal’s reputation as a stable democracy and cooperation
Figure 1. Senegal at a Glance
on development and security underpin warm U.S.-Senegal
relations. For U.S. policymakers, Senegal is increasingly an
exception in a region beset by conflicts, military coups, and
growing Russian influence. Senegal nonetheless faces
economic, ecological, health, and security challenges.
President Macky Sall, who is nearing the end of his second
term in office, has maintained close ties with donors and
advanced economic reforms. He has struggled, however, to
respond to demands for greater economic opportunity from
Senegal’s youthful population. In July 2023, President Sall
announced—seemingly reluctantly—that he would not seek
reelection in 2024, becoming Senegal’s first-ever
incumbent leader to adhere voluntarily to constitutional
term limits. Previous presidents stepped down only after
losing reelection contests. Sall has endorsed Prime Minister
Amadou Ba to succeed him.
Whether Senegal can continue to withstand regional trends
Source: CRS graphic; data from IMF, CIA World Factbook (2023).
is in question. Insurgents affiliated with Al Qaeda and the
While moving to rehabilitate some opposition contenders
Islamic State have expanded their areas of activity in the
ahead of 2024, authorities have continued to crack down on
adjacent Sahel region. The military junta in neighboring
populist politician Ousmane Sonko, President Sall’s most
Mali has contracted with Russia’s Wagner Group and
avid critic. Sonko has faced a string of prosecutions,
formed an alliance with juntas in Burkina Faso and Niger.
(Since the death of Wagner’s founder in August 2023,
including on sexual assault and defamation charges, and he
was barred from running for parliament in 2022 (although
Moscow has signaled an intent to maintain and expand
later elected as mayor of Ziguinchor, the main city in the
Africa operations while exercising more direct control over
southern Casamance region). In late July 2023, Sonko was
them.) Senegal is involved in regional efforts to pressure
jailed on “insurrection” charges, and the government
military juntas to cede power, and has contributed troops to
ordered his political party dissolved. Voicing nationalist,
the U.N. peacekeeping operation in Mali, which is closing
religiously conservative, and anti-Western views (including
down in 2023 at the Malian junta’s behest.
praise for the military junta leader in Mali) that are on the
Politics
rise in much of West Africa, Sonko has capitalized on the
absence of mainstream opposition heavyweights, on
Senegal has undergone several peaceful electoral transfers
perceptions of political persecution, and on popular
of power, has never had a military coup, and has a dynamic
discontent over a potential third-term candidacy by Sall.
independent press and civil society. Seemingly selective
The public response to Sonko’s latest arrest—coming after
prosecutions of opposition figures and Sall’s seeming
Sall’s pledge to step down—has been relatively muted,
flirtation with a third term (alongside economic grievances)
compared to Sonko’s previous arrests and trial hearings.
fueled large protests and riots between 2021 and mid-2023,
however. State security forces responded with allegedly
Foreign Relations
excessive force, and authorities sought to restrict freedom
Senegal maintains close ties with Western donors—
of assembly. These events spotlighted governance shortfalls
and potential vulnerabilities in Senegal’s apparent stability.
including the United States and former colonial power
France—along with Morocco and the Arab Gulf states.
President Sall was first elected in 2012, defeating his
China is another important partner: Senegal participates in
onetime patron, incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade,
China’s Belt and Road initiative, and China has provided
whose own bid for a third term likewise provoked unrest.
loans and support for infrastructure construction. Senegal is
Sall was reelected in 2019, after two prominent opposition
among the relatively few Muslim-majority countries to
figures were barred from running due to prior corruption
maintain full diplomatic relations with Israel, although
convictions. The U.S. organization Freedom House docked
these were briefly troubled in 2016-2017 after Senegal
Senegal’s rating in 2020 from “Free” to “Partly Free,”
cosponsored a U.N. resolution regarding Israeli settlements.
citing “politically motivated prosecutions of opposition
Regional Initiatives. President Sall has played a prominent
leaders” and electoral law changes that “reduced the
competitiveness of the opposition.”
role in regional diplomacy, and chaired the African Union
Constitutional changes
(AU) in 2022. Sall is involved in efforts by the Economic
in 2016 shortened the president’s term from seven to five
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to press
years; the presidential election is slated for February 2024.
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Senegal
military juntas in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger to
cornerstone economic policy, the Plan for an Emerging
cede power to civilians, with limited success to date. The
Senegal, pairs increased public investment in infrastructure
bloc is enforcing economic sanctions on Niger and has
with fiscal reforms and efforts to enhance state management
threatened a military intervention there, to which Senegal
of anticipated future energy revenues. The International
has pledged troops. In 2017, Senegal played a central role
Monetary Fund (IMF) has supported this framework with
in pressing the authoritarian leader of The Gambia to step
loans and technical support. The State Department’s 2023
down in favor of an elected successor. Senegalese troops
Investment Climate Statement indicates that Senegal
remain in The Gambia under an ECOWAS mandate.
“welcomes foreign investment and has prioritized efforts to
improve the business climate.”
Russia. Senegal has not historically been considered one of
Russia’s main partners in Africa, but trade ties—notably
While the IMF projects strong GDP growth of 8.3% in
Senegalese imports of Russian fuel and wheat—have grown
2023, Senegal’s economy continues to face headwinds due
over the past decade amid increased Russian diplomatic
to the global effects of the Russia-Ukraine war, among
outreach in the region. Senegal is a net grain and energy
other factors. ECOWAS-imposed border closures and trade
importer, and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war on
sanctions on Mali in the first half of 2022 also reportedly
global supply chains have posed economic and
hurt Senegal’s economy and food security.
humanitarian challenges. President Sall visited Moscow as
AU chair in 2022. In June 2023, Sall was part of a
U.S. Relations and Aid
delegation of African leaders who traveled to Moscow and
The State Department characterizes Senegal as “an
Kyiv in a stated effort to facilitate peace talks and grain
important partner,” praising Senegal’s democracy, history
exports, to little apparent concrete effect. Like many
of ethnic and religious tolerance, and participation in
African countries, Senegal has abstained or been absent on
peacekeeping missions. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W.
most U.S.-backed U.N. resolutions critical of Russia’s
Bush, and Barack Obama each visited Senegal during their
actions in Ukraine since 2022. Senegal also previously
presidencies. President Sall played a prominent role, as AU
abstained from a 2014 U.N. resolution affirming Ukraine’s
chair, in the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington,
territorial integrity amid Russia’s seizure of Crimea.
DC, in December 2022. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
Janet Yellen visited Senegal in January 2023, praising it as
Security Issues
“a bustling economic center in West Africa and a strong
Senegal has not suffered a major domestic terrorist attack,
voice for international cooperation.” Yellen indicated that
but it appears vulnerable to extremist infiltration and
she and President Sall discussed global food security,
recruitment. Insurgents affiliated with Al Qaeda and the
energy access, and sustainable infrastructure investment.
Islamic State control territory in neighboring Mali and
The United States allocated $144 million in bilateral aid for
elsewhere in the region, and some Senegalese nationals
Senegal in FY2022 (latest publicly available), focusing
have reportedly traveled or otherwise sought to join them.
primarily on health, agriculture, basic education, and
President Sall’s administration has bolstered military
governance. The Biden Administration has proposed $139
presence and sought to increase state service delivery in
million in bilateral aid for Senegal in FY2024. Senegal is a
border areas. Senegal also faces maritime security threats,
focus of the USAID-led President’s Malaria Initiative and
including piracy; maritime crime; smuggling of narcotics,
Feed the Future, which promotes agricultural development
weapons, and people; and illegal and unregulated fishing.
and food security. Senegal is also implementing a five-year,
Internal Conflict. A low-intensity separatist conflict has
$550 million U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation
waxed and waned in Casamance (Figure 1) for decades.
(MCC) compact focusing on access to electricity. Senegal
The region is ethnically and religiously distinct from
has pledged $50 million of its own resources to support the
northern Senegal and geographically severed by The
project. The MCC has selected Senegal as eligible to
Gambia. The conflict has displaced local communities and
develop a potential regional compact with neighboring
hurt the economy of the region, a potential tourism
states. A prior $540 million MCC compact in Senegal,
destination and agricultural breadbasket. Rebel factions
completed in 2015, sought to increase agricultural
reportedly engage in banditry and trafficking. President Sall
productivity and access to markets and services via road
announced a peace deal with one faction in 2022.
and water infrastructure investments.
The Economy and Development Challenges
Senegal receives additional security assistance under State
Department regional and global programs, and via Defense
Outside Dakar, which is home to about one in four
Department programs. U.S. security assistance seeks to
Senegalese, Senegal is largely rural and agrarian, with
support Senegal’s military professionalism, peacekeeping
limited arable land and fresh water. Key sources of foreign
deployments, counternarcotics and maritime security
exchange include tourism; exports of fish, peanuts, and
capacity, and ability to counter terrorism. Senegal cohosted
phosphates; and diaspora remittances. Over a third of
U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual exercise, African
Senegalese reportedly live below the international poverty
Lion, in 2023. In 2016, Senegal signed an agreement to
line of $1.90 per day. Food insecurity and malnutrition are
facilitate U.S. military access to the subregion, and in 2014,
widespread; malaria is another major health challenge. A
it hosted a logistics hub for the U.S. military deployment to
lack of economic opportunities, along with a coastal
help contain the West Africa Ebola outbreak.
location and large diaspora, help explain Senegal’s
prominence as a source of irregular migration to Europe.
Alexis Arieff, Specialist in African Affairs
Offshore oil and gas deposits could reshape the economy,
IF10164
with production expected to begin in 2024. President Sall’s
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Senegal
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10164 · VERSION 14 · UPDATED