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Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye visited Paris on Wednesday June 19, at the invitation of both GAVI (the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) and the African Union, for the Paris Vaccine Summit. In his address to his African and French counterparts, Senegal's newly-elected president reminded them of the insufficiently of vaccines supplied to Africa in relation to its population: around 20% of the world's population. In other words, Africa is a long way from achieving sovereignty in vaccine production. He also congratulated GAVI and its partners on their work in the fight against pandemics, and reiterated the importance of the international community's support in replenishing GAVI's funds for the period 2026 to 2030. On the occasion of his first visit to France, the Paris Immunization Summit was an opportunity for President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to discuss with Emmanuel Macron, during a working lunch at the Élysée Palace on June 20, the redefinition of the foundations of a new "win-win" partnership with France.

Ousmane Sonko's alleged attempt to link "those who have plundered the public purse" with the Press's alleged "failure to pay its tax debt" may well be in keeping with the spirit of the rupture he has been advocating to date. These alleged accusations were made on Sunday June 9 at a public conference of PASTEF, of which he is the leader. During the event, the Prime Minister made it clear that no leniency would be granted to journalists or activists who gratuitously attacked people. Without asking for a return of the favor, the press made a point of recalling the preponderant role it played and which, according to it, enabled PASTEF, of which it is the undisputed leader, to accede to power. Since President Bassirou Diomaye Faye came to power, the fight against impunity has become more topical than ever. Indeed, Macky Sall and his lieutenants seem to have no respite from the numerous accusations and prosecutions to which they are subjected, not to mention the repression of pre-election unrest.

The conviction of activist Bah Diakhaté and Imam Cheikh Tidiane Ndao can be seen as the manifestation of the promise made by Ousmane Sonko against those who gratuitously attack others. Indeed, on June 03, 2024, the two were sentenced to 3 months in prison and fined 100,000 CFA francs for spreading false news, charges they denied at the May 27 hearing. As a reminder, they had made remarks deemed despicable about Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and his recent statements about homosexuality during a visit to Senegal by France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Furthermore, the protection of press freedom remains a major concern for the press in general. Following the numerous arrests of journalists and the closure of certain media outlets in recent years, Reporters Sans Frontières calls on President Diomaye Faye to further protect press freedom, which is a fundamental right that enables the press to inform the public objectively.

Hence the urgent need to reform the judicial system in Senegal, so that certain provisions of the penal code, civil code and family code are reviewed. In any case, this was the aim of the June 04 meeting in Diamniadio of the Commission in charge of reforming the judicial system, as part of the "Assises de la Justice". A broad consensus emerged on the usefulness of reducing the powers of the public prosecutor's office. "After the general and methodological considerations, it was time to summarize the commission's work. What I can say is that there was a broad consensus on a number of points, including the need to reduce the powers of the Public Prosecutor," asserts the commission's rapporteur, Ahmadou Bamba Kassé. This should also make it possible to protect whistle-blowers, especially as one of them was arrested after denouncing a gendarme who was allegedly caught in a restaurant in Kédougou, negotiating a mining contract with two Chinese nationals.

As Senegal joins the ranks of oil-producing countries with the first barrel of Sangomar production, announced by Woodside, operator of the Rufisque Offshore, Sangomar Offshore and Sangomar Offshore Profond (RSSD) joint venture, some are still taking the path of irregular migration. This is the case of the Senegalese would-be emigrants who have been stranded in northern Niger for weeks, and who are asking the Senegalese authorities to repatriate them.

At the same time, Senegalese customs are conducting operations that have led to several arrests, including that of a shipment of 30 kilos of cocaine in the center of the country, near Gambia. This situation testifies to the important work carried out by Senegalese customs, both within the country and in border areas. In fact, the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, has ordered the partial closure of the border with Senegal, particularly towards Kolda, where two Muslim communities clashed on June 17, the day of the Eid (Tabaski).  These were the followers of the local khalife, Thierno Amadou Tidiane Ba, known as the "Futankés", and those of marabout Thierno Mounirou Baldé, known as the "Gabunkés", who have been fighting for years over control of the Médina Gounass Mosque. Although events of this kind are virtually non-existent in Senegal, the clashes were extremely violent, resulting in the death of one person and the injury of some twenty others.

On the other hand, the fact that Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has not made his general policy statement is indicative of the tug-of-war between the head of government and the National Assembly. He denounces the inconsistency of the National Assembly's rules of procedure, which no longer mention a general policy statement by the prime minister since 2019 after Macky Sall abolished the post. Even if the Prime Minister's post had been reinstated by the latter, Ousmane Sonko urges the National Assembly to review its internal rules, which the Assembly's bureau deems unacceptable.

Finally, following the announcement of the death of numerous worshippers in Mecca as a result of the Coronavirus, the wearing of masks has become compulsory at Blaise Diagne International Airport, which has set up voluntary screening tests to protect the thousands of passengers transiting to and from the airport.