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Three dead in Senegal protests over delayed presidential election

Three dead in Senegal protests over delayed presidential election

THE death toll amid protests in Senegal over the postponement of the presidential election until December has climbed to three, as concerns grow that one of the remaining democracies in coup-hit West Africa is under threat. The announcement of the delay just three weeks ahead of the planned February 25 vote triggered violent clashes on Friday between protesters and police in Dakar and several other cities, in a wave of unrest that many fear will spill over into protracted instability. President Macky Sall has said the delay is necessary because electoral disputes threatened the credibility of the poll, but some opposition lawmakers…
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Senegal president names new finance, energy ministers in reshuffle

Senegal president names new finance, energy ministers in reshuffle

SENEGALESE President Macky Sall named new finance and energy ministers as part of a government reshuffle four months ahead of elections. Sall dismissed the government and reappointed Prime Minister Amadour Ba on Friday, without explaining the reasoning behind the decision. Among other changes, former Interior Minister Antoine Diome, who was criticised by the opposition for the government's crackdown on widespread protests earlier this year, was appointed oil and energy minister. Senegal will next year begin producing oil and gas from large offshore fields which are expected to transform the West African country's economy over the coming decades. Mamadou Moustapha Ba…
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Senegal opposition leader hints at election disruption if he can’t run

Senegal opposition leader hints at election disruption if he can’t run

SENEGALESE opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has no plans to make peace with President Macky Sall and suggested he may try to disrupt next year's elections if he is not allowed to run, he said in an interview with France 24 television. "There will be no elections in this country if President Macky Sall wishes to counter my candidacy," Sonko said from his home in the capital Dakar, where he has been under effective house arrest since he was sentenced to two years in jail in June on charges stemming from an alleged rape. Sonko denies wrongdoing and says the charges are meant…
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Senegal: behind the protests is a fight for democratic freedoms

Senegal: behind the protests is a fight for democratic freedoms

IN a late evening announcement on 3 July, President Macky Sall put an end to speculations that he would seek a third term in office by contesting in 2024. Prior to that announcement, Sall’s unwillingness to confirm he would not run for a third term, and the targeting of political opponents, created a political powder keg in Senegal. Authors RACHEL BEATTY RIEDL, Professor of International Studies, Cornell University BAMBA NDIAYE, Assistant Professor, Emory University Protests broke out in many cities across the country on 1 June 2023, following the conviction of leading opposition figure Ousmane Sonko for “corruption of the…
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Senegal unrest flares again over opposition leader

Senegal unrest flares again over opposition leader

DOZENS of protesters clashed with security forces in Senegal's capital, Dakar, after lawmakers and supporters were blocked from visiting the home of a prominent opposition politician on trial for rape and libel. Police fired tear gas on demonstrators who built makeshift barricades along one of Dakar's main highways and in one neighbourhood set cars and a ministerial building on fire. It is the latest round in months of unrest triggered by President Macky Sall's refusal to rule out running for a third term in office and by court cases involving a leading rival, Ousmane Sonko, who denies wrongdoing and says…
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Senegal gas projects near final investment decisions

Senegal gas projects near final investment decisions

FINAL investment decisions should be made for phase 2 of Senegal's Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project by September and for the Yakaar-Teranga project by the end of the year, a senior Senegalese energy official said on Wednesday. BP and U.S.-listed Kosmos Energy are leading development of GTA and Yakaar-Teranga, Senegal's first natural gas projects. "We are working to reach an FID by September for the phase 2 (at GTA) that should double expected production from 2.5 million tonne per annum to 5 million tonne per annum," Mamadou Fall Kane, an advisor to President Macky Sall, told Reuters. The first phase of…
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Senegal receives its first COVAX vaccines

Senegal receives its first COVAX vaccines

SENEGAL received 324,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine early yesterday as the COVAX global distribution scheme accelerates delivery of the shots to the world's poorest countries. The doses will add to the west African country's stock of 200,000 vaccines it bought from China's Sinopharm to launch the first phase of its inoculation campaign. Around 40,000 people, including President Macky Sall have received the Sinopharm vaccine since the start of the campaign last week. Senegal is eligible for around 1.3 million doses for free in the first wave of disbursement from the COVAX progamme, which is backed by the World…
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Senegal on verge of unprecedented growth from oil, gas, president says

Senegal on verge of unprecedented growth from oil, gas, president says

SENEGAL is expected to achieve unprecedented economic growth of 13.7% in 2023, thanks to the development of new oil and gas fields, according to President Macky Sall. Oil was discovered in Senegal in 1961, but reserves big enough for commercial exploitation have been found only in recent years. President Macky Sall Now, offshore oil and gas fields run by such companies as BP and Kosmos Energy can transform the West African country's agricultural economy when they start producing this decade. Volumes expected to rival some of the region's biggest producers. "In 2023, if all conditions are met, for the first…
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