Source : Sahel weather July & august 2024 

Download the full Sahel weather report

In Senegal, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye takes stock of his first 100 days in power. This is an opportunity for the leader of "Gem sa Bopp", Bougane Gueye, to look back at what he calls "the failures of the new regime", especially concerning the measures taken since his election. The leader of Gueum Sa Bopp speaks of an "illusory project" in the face of "increasing misery", describing the gloomy record of the new regime headed by Bassirou Diomaye Faye, with illegal immigration continuing to claim victims off the Senegalese coast, and winter flooding still awaiting solutions.

At a time of increasing criticism, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announces "systemic" reforms at both national and regional level. In Senegal, the President did not fail to recall the place he and his government intend to give to justice at the closing ceremony of the Assises de la Justice, whose general report revealed consensus, but also disagreement on certain points. The event resulted in 30 recommendations, including the establishment of an autonomous Constitutional Court to replace the Constitutional Council, with members elected rather than appointed by the President of the Republic. President Diomaye Faye's first appearance at the ECOWAS summit was also an opportunity for Senegal's newly elected president to reiterate the importance of implementing reforms that will bring ECOWAS closer to the populations of its member countries. He also stressed the importance of reviewing the institution's sanctions against Niger and Mali, given the consequences this could have on the economies of these countries. The meeting between Gambian Vice-President Muhammad B.S Jallow and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko also provided an opportunity to discuss ECOWAS. The Senegalese head of government invited the three ECOWAS member states, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, to reconsider their decision to leave the organization, as West African countries would benefit more from remaining together in the same organization.

Following Ousmane Sonko's appointment as Prime Minister of Senegal, he was criticized for failing to make his general policy statement (DPG). For the new Prime Minister, the articles of the Rules of Procedure (RI) of the National Assembly setting out the modalities of the Prime Minister's DPG have been deleted since 2019 when the post was abolished. Hence the urgent need to update the RI and reinstate the articles in question in the internal regulations. With this in mind, an initiative by the Wallu parliamentary group, led by Nafissatou Diallo, was brought to the attention of the President of the National Assembly, with the aim of updating the Rules of Procedure following the restoration of the post of Prime Minister.

While he was waiting for the National Assembly's rules of procedure to be updated for his DPG, the Prime Minister launched a message to young people following the arrest of more than 57 irregular migrants from various West African countries on the Senegalese coast. These events followed a Senegalese navy patrol in Saint-Louis, northern Senegal, where fishermen are denouncing an ecological and economic disaster caused by the gas platform managed by the British oil group BP and Kosmos, due to the scarcity of fish in the area.

While some accuse the new regime of favoritism in certain appointments, others are raising their voices, even accusing President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his Prime Minister of being "liars" and "manipulators". The appointment of Sophie Nzinga Sy, daughter of the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Integration, to head the Agence pour la Promotion et le Développement de l'Artisanat (APDA), is also described as favoritism; an accusation refuted by the spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic, who speaks of the meritocracy advocated by the State of Senegal instead of the nepotism of which the State is accused. 

In the interests of transparency, Senegal has set up a commission to review and renegotiate contracts signed with foreign companies operating in key sectors. The Commission was set up on August 19, 2024. A commission has been set up to review hydrocarbon contracts, especially since Senegal has been exploiting oil since June, with gas soon to follow. The aim of this Commission is to ensure that the exploitation of mining, gas and oil resources is of maximum benefit to the population. Hence the creation of a commission of experts appointed by the Prime Minister.

The press sector is also going through an unprecedented crisis. According to the owners of Stades and Sunu Lamb, two dailies are no longer on sale on Senegal's newsstands for economic reasons. Some are talking about bank accounts being frozen, while reporters believe they are more affected. This follows President Diomaye Faye's call on August 14 for "appropriate remedial measures" to help ensure the full application of the press code and to contribute to the smooth running of press enterprises. This is reflected in the media's restriction of press freedom, in addition to the freezing of the accounts of certain press organizations, which deplore the crisis they are going through, as well as their working conditions, which are deemed precarious.