Senegal
Senegal, 1960 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
Léopold Sédar Senghor was elected Senegal's first president in August 1960. Due to internal political difficulties, the Federation broke up on 20 August 1960 when Senegal and French Sudan each proclaimed independence. The state is a semi-presidential republic, and since 1960 it has been recognized as one of the most stable countries on the African continent. A southern separatist group in the Casamance region has clashed sporadically with government forces since 1982 in the Casamance conflict.
Seat of power: Dakar
Rulers
Léopold Sédar Senghor
President of Senegal, 1960–1980
He served as the first president of Senegal from 1960 to 1980. He fell out with his long-standing associate Mamadou Dia, who was the prime minister of Senegal, arresting him on suspicion of fomenting a coup in 1962 and imprisoning him for 12 years. He then established an authoritarian one-party state where rival political parties were suppressed, and in 1976 he permitted opposition parties while retaining an unequal playing field favoring his party.
Portrait of Léopold Sédar Senghor: Dominique Roger, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo, file
Abdou Diouf
President of Senegal, 1981–2000
He was the second president of Senegal from 1981 to 2000. He is notable both for coming to power by peaceful succession and leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to long-time opposition-leader Abdoulaye Wade.
Portrait of Abdou Diouf: Chris Peus, CC BY-SA 2.0, file
Abdoulaye Wade
President of Senegal, 2000–2012
He served as the third president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. A long-time opposition leader, Wade ran for president four times, beginning in 1978, before he was finally elected in the year 2000. He won re-election in 2007 with a majority in the first round, but was defeated in the second round in 2012 in a controversial bid for a third term.
Portrait of Abdoulaye Wade: Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India, file
Macky Sall
President of Senegal, 2012–2024
He served as the fourth president of Senegal from 2012 to 2024. Significant infrastructure projects, including a new airport and town near Dakar, highways, express trains, a national stadium, and a road link to Mali, were completed under his leadership. He stirred controversy for undemocratic maneuvers, including repressing the political opposition in Senegal and attempting a self-coup, which sparked the 2023 to 2024 Senegalese protests.
Portrait of Macky Sall: United States Department of State Africa U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit: Photos and Videos, Public domain, file
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Bassirou Diomaye Faye
President of Senegal, 2024 to today
He is serving as the fifth and current president of Senegal since 2024. He won the 2024 Senegalese presidential election in place of disqualified candidate Ousmane Sonko, whom he later appointed as prime minister.
Portrait of Bassirou Diomaye Faye: The White House (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley); cropped by Brühl, Public domain, file
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Culture
- Over 30 languages are spoken in Senegal. Wolof is the most widely spoken, with 80% of the population speaking it as a first or second language, acting as Senegal's lingua franca alongside French.
- Marabouts, the religious leaders of the various Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal, have exerted strong political influence in the country.
- The country includes a wide mix of ethnic and linguistic communities, with the largest being the Wolof, Fula, and Serer people.
Picture
The African Renaissance Monument is a 50-metre tall bronze statue located on top of one of the twin hills known as Collines des Mamelles, outside Dakar.
Image: Tafsir207, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.