Senegal
Republic of SenegalRepublique du Senegal
presidential republicIndependence 4 April 1960 (from France)
Senegal as the 2023 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 169 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Senegal is one of the few countries in the world with evidence of continuous human life from the Paleolithic period to present. Between the 14th and 16th centuries, the Jolof Empire ruled most of Senegal. Starting in the 15th century, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, and Great Britain traded along the Senegalese coast. Senegal’s location on the western tip of Africa made it a favorable base for the European slave trade.
European powers used the Senegalese island of Goree as a base to purchase slaves from the warring chiefdoms on the mainland, and at the height of the slave trade in Senegal, over one-third of the Senegalese population was enslaved. In 1815, France abolished slavery and began expanding inland. During the second half of the 19th century, France took possession of Senegal as a French colony. In 1959, the French colonies of Senegal and French Sudan were merged and granted independence in 1960 as the Mali Federation.
The union broke up after only a few months. In 1982, Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never implemented, and the union dissolved in 1989.
Since the 1980s, the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance - a separatist movement based in southern Senegal - has led a low-level insurgency. Several attempts at reaching a comprehensive peace agreement have failed. Since 2012, despite sporadic incidents of violence, an unofficial cease-fire has remained largely in effect. Senegal is one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation.
The Socialist Party of Senegal ruled for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000 and re-elected in 2007. WADE amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and weaken the opposition. In 2012, WADE’s decision to run for a third presidential term sparked public backlash that led to his defeat to current President Macky SALL. A 2016 constitutional referendum limited future presidents to two consecutive five-year terms. The change, however, does not apply to SALL's first term. In February 2019, SALL won his bid for reelection; his second term will end in 2024.
Geography
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
20 fieldsLand useshare of 196,722 sq km
Climate
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds;
- dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
Major rivers (by length in km)
Senegal (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, and Mauritania [m] ) - 1,641 km; Gambie (Gambia) (shared with Guinea [s] and The Gambia [m]) - 1,094 km; note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Population distribution
- the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area;
- approximately 70% of the population is rural as shown in this population distribution map
Geography - note
westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal
People and Society
38 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2023 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2023 est.)
Male · female(2021)
Ethnic groups(2019 est.)
Religions
Muslim 97.2% (most adhere to one of the four main Sufi brotherhoods), Christian 2.7% (mostly Roman Catholic) (2019 est.)
Demographic profile
Senegal has a large and growing youth population but has not been successful in developing its potential human capital. Senegal’s high total fertility rate of almost 4.5 children per woman continues to bolster the country’s large youth cohort – more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25.
Fertility remains high because of the continued desire for large families, the low use of family planning, and early childbearing. Because of the country’s high illiteracy rate (more than 40%), high unemployment (even among university graduates), and widespread poverty, Senegalese youths face dim prospects; women are especially disadvantaged.
Senegal historically was a destination country for economic migrants, but in recent years West African migrants more often use Senegal as a transit point to North Africa – and sometimes illegally onward to Europe. The country also has been host to several thousand black Mauritanian refugees since they were expelled from their homeland during its 1989 border conflict with Senegal.
The country’s economic crisis in the 1970s stimulated emigration; departures accelerated in the 1990s. Destinations shifted from neighboring countries, which were experiencing economic decline, civil wars, and increasing xenophobia, to Libya and Mauritania because of their booming oil industries and to developed countries (most notably former colonial ruler France, as well as Italy and Spain). The latter became attractive in the 1990s because of job opportunities and their periodic regularization programs (legalizing the status of illegal migrants).
Population distribution
- the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area;
- approximately 70% of the population is rural as shown in this population distribution map
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.93 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.77 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 31.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
- male:
- 35.1 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 28.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- very high (2023)
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases:
- malaria and dengue fever
- water contact diseases:
- schistosomiasis
- animal contact diseases:
- rabies
- respiratory diseases:
- meningococcal meningitis
Alcohol consumption per capita
- total:
- 0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- beer:
- 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine:
- 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits:
- 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols:
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Child marriage
- women married by age 15:
- 8.8%
- women married by age 18:
- 30.5%
- men married by age 18:
- 0.7% (2019 est.)
Environment
15 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- deforestation;
- overgrazing;
- soil erosion;
- desertification;
- periodic droughts;
- seasonal flooding;
- overfishing;
- weak environmental protective laws;
- wildlife populations threatened by poaching
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Climate
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds;
- dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 49.6% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 3.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Food insecurity
- severe localized food insecurity:
- due to localized shortfalls in cereal production and reduced incomes - the latest analysis indicates that about 1.26 million people are projected to be acutely food insecure during the June to August 2023 lean season;
- this would be a significant deterioration compared to the previous year;
- the main drivers of acute food insecurity are macroeconomic challenges and high prices of basic food items (2023)
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 38.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 10.9 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 11.74 megatons (2020 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Senegal (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, and Mauritania [m] ) - 1,641 km; Gambie (Gambia) (shared with Guinea [s] and The Gambia [m]) - 1,094 km; note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 260 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
- industrial:
- 58 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
- agricultural:
- 2.76 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Presidential republic; President Macky SALL (since 2 April 2012); Prime Minister Amadou BA (since 17 September 2022)
22 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly resultspercent of vote
Composition: men 95, women 70, percent of women 42.4%
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Senegal
- conventional short form:
- Senegal
- local long form:
- Republique du Senegal
- local short form:
- Senegal
- former:
- Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation
- etymology:
- named for the Senegal River that forms the northern border of the country;
- many theories exist for the origin of the river name;
- perhaps the most widely cited derives the name from "Azenegue," the Portuguese appellation for the Berber Zenaga people who lived north of the river
Capital
- name:
- Dakar
- geographic coordinates:
- 14 44 N, 17 38 W
- time difference:
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- etymology:
- the Atlantic coast trading settlement of Ndakaaru came to be called "Dakar" by French colonialists
Administrative divisions
14 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence
4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
Constitution
- history:
- previous 1959 (preindependence), 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001, promulgated 22 January 2001
- amendments:
- proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly;
- passage requires Assembly approval and approval in a referendum;
- the president can bypass a referendum and submit an amendment directly to the Assembly, which requires at least three-fifths majority vote;
- the republican form of government is not amendable;
- amended several times, last in 2019
Legal system
civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- no
- citizenship by descent only:
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Senegal
- dual citizenship recognized:
- no, but Senegalese citizens do not automatically lose their citizenship if they acquire citizenship in another state
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 5 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Macky SALL (since 2 April 2012)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Amadou BA (since 17 September 2022)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the president
- elections/appointments:
- president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single renewable 5-year term;
- election last held on 24 February 2019 (next to be held in February 2024)
- election results:
- 2019: Macky SALL elected president in first round;
- percent of vote - Macky SALL (APR) 58.3%, Idrissa SECK (Rewmi) 20.5%, Ousmane SONKO (PASTEF) 15.7%, other 5.5% 2012: Macky SALL elected president in second round;
- percent of vote - Macky SALL 65.8%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 34.2%
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale (165 seats; 112 members including 15 representing Senegalese diaspora directly elected by plurality vote in single- and multi-seat constituencies and 53 members directly elected by proportional representation vote in a single nationwide constituency; member term is 5-years)
- elections:
- National Assembly - last held on 31 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2027)
- election results:
- National Assembly results - percent of vote by party/coalition - BBY 46.6%, YAW 32.9%, WS 14.5%, other 6%;
- seats by party/coalition - BBY 82, YAW 56, WS 24, other 3;
- composition - men 95, women 70, percent of women 42.4%
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the court president and 12 judges and organized into civil and commercial, criminal, administrative, and social chambers);
- Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionel (consists of 7 members, including the court president, vice president, and 5 judges)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon recommendation of the Superior Council of the Magistrates, a body chaired by the president and minister of justice;
- judge tenure varies, with mandatory retirement either at 65 or 68 years;
- Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the president and 2 by the National Assembly speaker;
- judges serve 6-year terms, with renewal of 2 members every 2 years
- subordinate courts:
- High Court of Justice (for crimes of high treason by the president);
- Courts of Appeal;
- Court of Auditors;
- assize courts;
- regional and district courts;
- Labor Court
Political parties and leaders
- African Patriots for Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity [Ousmane SONKO]
- Alliance for Citizenship and Work or ACT [Abdoul MBAYE]
- Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar or APR [Macky SALL]
- Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]
- And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS [Landing SAVANE]
- Benno Bokk Yakaar or BBY (United in Hope) [Mahammed DIONNE] (coalition includes AFP, APR, BGC, LD-MPT, PIT, PS, and UNP)
- Bokk Gis Gis coalition [Pape DIOP]
- Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk [Mansour Sy DJAMIL]
- Dare the Future movement [Aissata Tall SALL]
- Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Mamadou NDOYE]
- Democratic Renaissance Congress [NA]
- Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ [Cheikh Abdoulaye Bamba DIEYE]
- Gainde Centrist Bloc or BCG [Jean-Paul DIAS Mendes]
- General Alliance for the Interests of the Republic or AGIR [Thierno BOCOUM]
- Grand Party or GP [Malick GAKOU]
- Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Maguette THIAM]
- Jotna Coalition [Dr Abdoulaye Niane]
- Liberate the People (Yewwi Askan Wi) or YAW [Barthelemy DIAS, Ousmane SONKO, Khalifa SALL]
- Madicke 2019 coalition [Madicke NIANG]
- National Union for the People or UNP [Abdoul MBAYE]
- Only Senegal Movement [Pierre Goudiaby ATEPA]
- Party for Truth and Development or PVD [Cheikh Ahmadou Kara MBAKE]
- Party of Unity and Rally or PUR [Cheikh Mouhamadou Moustapha SY]
- Patriotic Convergence Kaddu Askan Wi or CP-Kaddu Askan Wi [Abdoulaye BALDE]
- Rewmi Party [Idrissa SECK]
- Save Senegal (Wallu Senegal Grand Coalition) or WS [Abdoulaye WADE] (coalition includes PDS, Jotna Coalition, Democratic Renaissance Congress)
- Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]
- Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]
- Tekki Movement [Mamadou Lamine DIALLO]
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, CPLP (associate), ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Mansour Elimane KANE (since 6 January 2020)
- chancery:
- 2215 M ST NW, Washington, DC 20037
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 234-0540
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 332-6315; [1] (202) 629-2961
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; http://www.ambasenegal-us.org/index.php
- consulate(s) general:
- Houston, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 10 March 2022); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau
- embassy:
- Route des Almadies, Dakar
- mailing address:
- 2130 Dakar Place, Washington DC 20521-2130
- telephone:
- [221] 33-879-4000
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://sn.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
- three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band;
- green represents Islam, progress, and hope;
- yellow signifies natural wealth and progress;
- red symbolizes sacrifice and determination;
- the star denotes unity and hope
note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Mali and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea
National anthem
- name:
- "Pincez Tous vos Koras, Frappez les Balafons" (Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons)
- lyrics/music:
- Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER
note: adopted 1960; lyrics written by Leopold Sedar SENGHOR, Senegal's first president; the anthem sometimes played incorporating the Koras (harp-like stringed instruments) and Balafons (types of xylophones) mentioned in the title
National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites:
- 7 (5 cultural, 2 natural)
- selected World Heritage Site locales:
- Island of Gorée (c);
- Niokolo-Koba National Park (n);
- Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (n);
- Island of Saint-Louis (c);
- Stone Circles of Senegambia (c);
- Saloum Delta (c);
- Bassari Country:
Economy
33 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2019 est.)
Economic overview
- lower middle-income, services-driven West African economy;
- key mining, construction, agriculture, and fishing industries;
- tourism and exports hit hard by COVID-19;
- large informal economy;
- developing offshore oil and gas fields;
- systemic corruption
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: Ba3 (2017); Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2000) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agricultural products
groundnuts, watermelons, rice, sugar cane, cassava, millet, maize, onions, sorghum, vegetables
Industries
agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
Current account balance
-$2.215 billion (2018 est.) · -$1.526 billion (2017 est.) · -$795.648 million (2016 est.)
Exports
$5.287 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $4.593 billion (2017 est.)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, rice, cars, malt extract, clothing and apparel (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.827 billion (31 December 2017 est.) · $116.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 554.531 (2021 est.) · 575.586 (2020 est.) · 585.911 (2019 est.) · 555.446 (2018 est.) · 580.657 (2017 est.)
Energy
11 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2021)
Installed generating capacity, 1.312 million kW(2020 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- consumption:
- 894,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- imports:
- 894,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 57,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate exports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate imports:
- 20,500 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 60.003 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
- consumption:
- 60.003 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
- exports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- imports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
10.696 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 1.955 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 8.64 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 101,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020–22 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- Senegal’s telecom market continues to show steady growth in all sectors;
- this has been supported by the particular demands made on consumers during the pandemic, which resulted in a particularly strong increase in the number of subscribers;
- the mobile subscriber base increased 6.7% in 2020, year-on-year, and by 4.1% in 2021, while the number of fixed broadband subscribers increased 17.5% year-on-year in 2021;
- mobile internet platforms account for the vast majority of all internet accesses;
- quality of service issues continue to plague the market, with the regulator periodically issuing fines to the market players (2022)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular 118 per 100 persons (2021)
- international:
- country code - 221;
- landing points for the ACE, Atlantis-2, MainOne and SAT-3/WASC submarine cables providing connectivity from South Africa, numerous western African countries, Europe and South America;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)
Broadcast media
- state-run Radiodiffusion Television Senegalaise (RTS) broadcasts TV programs from five cities in Senegal;
- in most regions of the country, viewers can receive TV programming from at least 7 private broadcasters;
- a wide range of independent TV programming is available via satellite;
- RTS operates a national radio network and a number of regional FM stations;
- at least 7 community radio stations and 18 private-broadcast radio stations are available;
- transmissions of at least 5 international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Dakar (2019)
Transportation
11 fieldsMerchant marine, 35 ships by typeone square, one ship · (2022)
Networkskm
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 2 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 11
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 21,038 (2018)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 40,000 (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
9
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature;
paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
11
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length;
airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Roadways
- total:
- 16,665 km (2017)
- paved:
- 6,126 km (2017) (includes 241 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 10,539 km (2017)
Military and Security
7 fieldsPersonnel strengthsone square, 100 people · (2023)
Military and security forces
Senegalese Armed Forces (les Forces Armées Sénégalaises, FAS): Army, Senegalese National Navy (Marine Senegalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air du Senegal), National Gendarmerie (includes Territorial and Mobile components); Ministry of Interior: National Police (2023) note: the National Police operates in major cities, while the Gendarmerie under the FAS primarily operates outside urban areas; both services have specialized anti-terrorism units
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the FAS inventory includes mostly older or secondhand equipment from a variety of countries, including ;
- in recent years, the FAS has undertaken a modernization program and has received small amounts of newer equipment from more than 10 countries, with France as the leading supplier (2023)
Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women;
- 20 years of age for selective compulsory service for men and possibly women;
- 24-month service obligation (2023)
Military deployments
- 200 Central African Republic (MINUSCA);
- 950 Mali (MINUSMA);
- note - Senegal also has up to 1,000 police deployed to UN peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2023)
Military - note
despite limited resources, the FAS is considered to be a well-equipped, experienced, and professional military; it has a history of non-interference in the country’s political process and good relations with civil authorities; it is experienced in foreign deployments and has received considerable assistance from the French military, which maintains a presence in Senegal, and the US, with smaller levels from Germany, Spain, and the UK;
the FAS’s primary focuses are border, internal, and maritime security; it is closely watching the prevalence of multiple active terrorist groups across the region and political instability in neighboring Mali and Guinea and has recently established new military and gendarmerie camps along its eastern border;
it also works with the government in areas such as preventive healthcare, infrastructure development, environmental protection, and disaster response
the Army is spread amongst seven military zones and organized into a mix of light infantry battalions and light armored reconnaissance squadrons, as well as airborne, special operations, and artillery battalions; the Gendarmerie includes mobile units, as well as the Presidential Guard (aka “The Red Guard”);
the Navy is a small force of coastal patrol craft; in recent years it has acquired some modern platforms from France and Israel, including two offshore patrol vessels, to improve the Navy’s ability to patrol Senegal’s coastline and economic exclusion zone, conduct fisheries inspections, counter drug trafficking, and combat piracy;
the Air Force is configured for supporting the ground forces and has a small number of light attack aircraft and helicopter gunships, as well as transport and reconnaissance aircraft
Senegalese security forces have been engaged in a low-level counterinsurgency campaign in the southern Casamance region against various factions of the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MDFC) since 1982; the conflict is one of longest running low-level insurgencies in the World, having claimed more than 5,000 lives while leaving another 60,000 displaced; in May 2023, a faction of the MFDC agreed to a peace deal (2023)
Terrorism
1 fieldTransnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - international
Senegal-Guinea-Bissau : rebels from the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance find refuge in Guinea-Bissau
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 11,518 (Mauritania) (2023)
- IDPs:
- 8,400 (2022)
Illicit drugs
- a transit point on the cocaine route from South America to Europe;
- large production of cannabis in southern Casamance region;
- the high domestic use of cannabis, crack cocaine and to a lesser extent heroin
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Senegal.” The World Factbook 2023. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/senegal/2023.