Senegal
Updated April 10, 2024
Senegal
The March 2024 election of President Bassirou Diomaye
Figure 1. Senegal at a Glance
Faye, an opposition activist who has never held elected
office, curtailed a constitutional crisis in Senegal while
signaling potentially major shifts in economic policy and
foreign relations. President Diomaye Faye, sworn in April
2, is a self-described leftist pan-Africanist and, at age 44,
one of Africa’s youngest heads of state. He has appointed
firebrand activist Ousmane Sonko, his patron, as Prime
Minister. Both were imprisoned in 2023 and freed by
executive order just weeks before the election. Their
release, and Diomaye Faye’s electoral win, were greeted
with apparent elation by many Senegalese—particularly
young people frustrated by economic hardships that belie
Senegal’s nascent energy exports and strong donor backing.
The election took place a month behind schedule after
outgoing President Macky Sall, facing pressure from
Senegal’s courts, donors, and the street, was forced to
abandon a contentious and arguably unconstitutional
proposal to delay the vote for up to a year. This came after a
Source: CRS graphic; data from IMF, CIA World Factbook (2023).
turbulent three years in which up to 1,000 opposition
A former tax collector of modest means, Diomaye Faye’s
supporters were reportedly arrested, and dozens of people
path to the presidency was paved by his alliance with
reportedly killed, during protests and unrest, often fueled by
state prosecutions targeting Sonko. Senegal’s new leaders
Sonko, a fellow former tax collector who leveraged street
politics to become former President Sall’s primary political
now face a transition from street politics to governing.
antagonist. Sonko was barred from contesting the
Presidential Transition in a Turbulent Region
presidential election due to criminal convictions for
President Diomaye Faye and Sonko campaigned on a
defamation and “corrupting a minor”; the latter charge was
“rupture” with Senegal’s mainstream political elites and
connected to a rape allegation of which Sonko was
policies, including a review of the country’s energy
acquitted in 2023. In late 2023, Sonko endorsed Diomaye
contracts, use of the regional CFA franc currency, and
Faye—who qualified as a candidate because he had not
relations with former colonial power France. Diomaye Faye
been convicted of a crime—as his surrogate.
has also pledged to reduce inflation and youth
Foreign Relations
unemployment, fight corruption, reform state institutions,
To date, Senegal has prioritized ties with the United States
and promote national reconciliation. He and Sonko may
and European donors, along with the Arab Gulf states,
now face a dilemma between moderating populist campaign
Morocco, and China. Senegal is one of a dwindling number
pledges and alienating their base.
of African countries to host French troops, and is the top
Senegal’s trajectory carries weight beyond its borders. West
recipient of French bilateral development aid. Senegal also
Africa, once seen as consolidating democracy and stability
is among the few Muslim-majority countries to maintain
after devastating wars in the 1990s, has faced a wave of
full relations with Israel, although ties have been strained at
military coups and insurgencies over the past decade. By
times, including over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
proving that change is possible via the ballot box, Senegal’s
Diomaye Faye campaigned on a break with Senegal’s past,
election may give hope to democracy activists. At the same
although he pledged after the election that Senegal would
time, the unprecedented popular mandate in Senegal for an
“remain a friendly country and a safe and reliable ally for
“anti-system” activist underscores the region’s tilt away
any partner who engages with us in virtuous, respectful and
from conventional policies and relationships with Western
mutually productive cooperation.”
donors. Military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger
Senegal and China have a “comprehensive strategic
have expelled French troops, moved to cede from the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),
partnership.” Senegal participates in China’s Belt and Road
initiative, and China has provided loans and support for
and embraced Russian defense cooperation. In March 2024,
infrastructure. President Sall and China’s President Xi
the ruling junta in Niger rescinded a U.S. status of forces
agreement underpinning the second-largest U.S. troop
Jinping met during the 2022 G-20 summit, and Senegal
hosted the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)
presence in Africa. Prime Minister Sonko has echoed some
of the rhetoric of the Sahel’s military leaders, denouncing
in 2021. President Xi visited Dakar in 2018.
Senegal’s cooperation with France and voicing admiration
Senegal has maintained strong diplomatic and trade ties
for Mali’s junta leader.
with Russia. President Sall attended Russia’s 2023 Africa
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Senegal
Summit and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
developing an offshore oil field. With International
Trade with Russia increased over the past decade, led by
Monetary Fund (IMF) support, former President Sall
Senegalese imports of Russian fuel and wheat. Senegal
pursued public infrastructure investments alongside fiscal
largely abstained on U.N. resolutions in 2022-2023 that
reforms. Economic growth increased under Sall, and is
were critical of Russia’s war on Ukraine, and also abstained
projected to reach 8.8% in 2024. Corruption and cronyism
from a 2014 U.N. resolution affirming Ukraine’s territorial
allegations dogged Sall’s management of the energy sector,
integrity amid Russia’s seizure of Crimea. In mid-2023,
however, while local communities complained that offshore
then-President Sall joined a delegation of African leaders
development was disrupting livelihoods (e.g., fishing).
who traveled to both Kyiv and Moscow to propose a peace
The State Department’s 2023 Investment Climate Statement
roadmap, to little apparent effect. As Chair of the African
reported that President Sall’s administration “welcomes
Union (AU) in 2022, Sall traveled to Moscow, but not
foreign investment and has prioritized efforts to improve
Kyiv, and seemed to echo Russian talking points blaming
the business climate,” while noting “significant challenges.”
Western sanctions for rising food insecurity in Africa.
These included “burdensome and unpredictable tax
President Sall played a prominent role in regional
administration, complex customs procedures, bureaucratic
diplomacy, including ECOWAS’s (largely unsuccessful)
hurdles, opaque public procurement practices, an inefficient
efforts to induce current juntas in the region to cede power
judicial system, inadequate access to financing, and a rigid
to civilians. In 2023, Senegal offered troops for a threatened
labor market,” along with high real estate and energy costs.
ECOWAS military intervention to reverse the coup in
U.S. Relations and Aid
Niger, which did not materialize. Instead, the ruling juntas
U.S.-Senegal ties have long been warm, underpinned by
in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger forged a military alliance
development aid, Senegal’s reputation as a stable
and announced they would leave ECOWAS. President
democracy, and defense cooperation to confront regional
Diomaye Faye has pledged to reform ECOWAS institutions
threats. President Sall played a prominent role, as AU chair,
and help Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger return to the bloc.
in the Biden Administration’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit
Senegalese troops remain deployed under an ECOWAS
in December 2022. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited
mandate in The Gambia, where Senegal led a regional
Senegal in 2023, praising Senegal as “a bustling economic
intervention in 2017 to induce the former authoritarian
center in West Africa and a strong voice for international
leader to step down in favor of an elected successor.
cooperation.” Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and
Security Issues
Barack Obama visited Senegal during their presidencies.
Senegal has not suffered a domestic terrorist attack but may
The United States is among Senegal’s top bilateral donors.
be vulnerable to infiltration and recruitment by Sahel-based
The Biden Administration has proposed $137 million in
Islamist insurgent groups affiliated with Al Qaeda and the
Islamic State. In response to such threats, President Sall’s
bilateral aid to Senegal in FY2025 for a range of health,
administration sought to bolster the military’s pr
economic growth, education, and democracy programs.
esence in
FY2023 bilateral aid allocations totaled $141 million;
border areas and improve state services for vulnerable
FY2024 data are not yet available. Senegal is a focus
communities. Senegal also faces regional maritime security
country for several U.S. aid initiatives, including the
concerns such as piracy, smuggling, and illegal and
President’s Malaria Initiative and Feed the Future. Senegal
unregulated fishing. A low-intensity separatist conflict in
also is implementing a $550 million U.S. Millennium
the southern Casamance region (Figure 1) has waxed and
Challenge Corporation (MCC) development compact that
waned since the 1980s, despite various peace accords.
aims to expand access to electricity. The five-year compact,
Senegal ranks 13th among U.N. peacekeeping contributors,
Senegal’s second, began implementation in 2021, and
with personnel serving in 2024 in the Democratic Republic
Senegal has pledged $50 million of its own resources in
of Congo and Central African Republic.
support. The MCC has also selected Senegal as eligible to
The Economy and Development Challenges
develop a regional compact.
More than one in five Senegalese live in and around the
capital city of Dakar. Senegal’s other regions are
Senegal receives additional security assistance under State
more rural
Department-administered regional and global programs, as
and agrarian, with limited arable land and fresh water.
well as Department of Defense (DOD) global train and
Diaspora remittances provide an economic lifeline to many
equip assistance under 10 U.S.C. §333. Senegal is slated to
households and a key source of foreign exchange. The
co-host U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)’s premier,
World Bank assesses that nearly a third of Senegalese live
in “multidimensional poverty”; 10% live on less than $2.15
joint, annual exercise, African Lion, in 2024. U.S. security
cooperation has focused on military professionalism,
per day. Food insecurity and nutrition shortfalls are
peacekeeping, counternarcotics, maritime security, and
persistent challenges, along with malaria. Gender
counterterrorism. Senegal hosts an AFRICOM “cooperative
inequalities remain entrenched, including high rates of
security location” (CSL), a facility that can host logistical
female illiteracy, child marriage, gender-based violence,
and barriers to women’s healthcare.
support operations when required. In 2014, Senegal hosted
a logistics hub for the U.S. military deployment to help
To date, top economic sectors have included tourism and
contain the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
exports of fish, peanuts, and phosphates. Oil and gas
production, slated to begin in 2024, could reshape the
Alexis Arieff, Specialist in African Affairs
economy. BP and U.S.-based Kosmos are developing two
large offshore gas fields, and Australia’s Woodside is
IF10164
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Senegal
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10164 · VERSION 15 · UPDATED