Senegal

The Republic of Senegal lies on the North-Western African coast, bordered by Mauritania in the north, Mali in the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau in the south. The country has a population of approximately 10 million (2002), with just over a quarter living in the capital Dakar. Senegal is divided into 10 administrative regions: Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thiès, and Ziguinchor.

The Senegalese people can be generally subdivided into seven major ethnic groups, each speaking their own language: Wolof, Fulani, Serer, Tukolor, Soninke, Malinke, and Diola. A small number of Europeans (mainly French), Berbers, and Lebanese live there as well. French is Senegal's official language due to its colonial past, of course, and Islam is the predomninant religion (over 90%), with indigenous beliefs and Christianity making up the difference.

Early History

Evidence of human habitation in Senegal goes back to the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages. The Tukolor first settled in the Senegal River valley in the 9th century and their state, Tekrur, dominated the region from the 10th to 14th centuries. The name "Senegal" is thought to have originated with the Zenaga Berbers, who established a Muslim monastery around 1040 and gradually converted the Tukulor to Islam. Between 1150 and 1350, Njajan Njay established the Jolof empire between the Senegal and Siné rivers, which eventually broke up into four major competing states: Jolof, Walo, Kajor (Cayor), and Bawol (Baol).

Colonial History

Portuguese explorers reached the mouth of the Senegal River around 1445, and used it as a trade route to the interior of the African continent along with the Gambia River. The Portuguese established many trading stations there, as well as two near the site of present-day Dakar, but they were displaced by the Dutch and the French in the 17th century.

The French proceeded to establish their own trading posts and made Gorée, captured from the Dutch in 1677, the main French naval base in West Africa for a time. The director of the Royal Company of Senegal, André Brüe, succeeded in extending French influence far into the interior and increased the export of slaves, ivory, and gum arabic from 1697 to 1720.

Great Britain managed to capture all French posts in Senegal during the Seven Years War, returning only Gorée in 1763, and joined them with its holdings along the Gambia River to form Senegambia, Britain's first African colony. Rather ironically, the French regained all their Senegalese posts during the American Revolution, but were forced to surrender Gorée to Britain under the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Britain yet again captured the French posts during the Napoleonic Wars, but they were returned yet again to France in 1815. During the first half of the 19th century, French influence in the interior of present-day Senegal was limited, prompting a drive eastward and a policy of assimilation. Under this policy, the major regions of Senegal elected representatives to the national assembly in Paris and Senegal as a whole was made a French colony in 1895, as part of French West Africa.

Under French rule, Senegal's trade was reoriented towards the coast and railroads were built. During the Second World War, Senegal initially aligned itself with the Vichy regime from 1940 to 1942, but then supported the Free French Forces. In 1946, French West Africa became part of the French Union, meaning that French citizenship was extended to all Senegalese for the first time. Politics in the country were led by two deputies in the French national assembly: coastal-based Lamine Gueye and interior-based Léopold Sédar Senghor. Senghor founded the Senegalese Democratic Bloc in 1948, and his party would go on to dominate Senegalese politics throughout the 1950s. Senegal's own national assembly was formed in 1956.

Post-Colonial History

After Charles de Gaulle came to power in France, Senegal became an autonomous republic within the French Community in late 1958. It joined with the Sudanese Republic (formerly French Sudan, now Mali) in January 1959 to form the Mali Federation, which gained independence in June 1960. Only about a month later, Senegal withdrew from the federation and became an independent state within the French Community. At that time, power between President Léopold Senghor and Prime Minister Mamadou Dia was fairly evenly divided, but Dia staged an unsuccessful coup in 1962. Dia was arrested and a new constitution in 1963 gave the president much additional power.

Senghor formed a new political party, the Senegalese Progressive Union (UPS), in 1966. It became the country's only political party and Senghor was reelected by a landslide in 1968 and in 1973. Of course, the growing concentration of power, in addition to a declining economy, would provoke considerable unrest. The situation became even worse due to a long-term drought that lasted from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s, and the frequency of demonstrations and strikes increased.

Throughout the 1970s, Senghor continued to consolidate power, led the establishment of the West African Economic Community in 1974, and strengthened relations with Senegal's Muslim leadership. A three-party system was mandated in 1978 and a fourth party was legalized in 1979. Despite a political system that essentially banned Senghor's opponents from participation, opposition from unofficial political organizations continued to grow.

Senghor, who now headed the Socialist Party (SP), finally yielded the presidency to Abdou Diouf in 1981, and after a successful Senegalese intervention in a Gambian coup, the two countries revived the old British Senegambia and proclaimed a confederation. Because of mounting criticism of his regime, Diouf was forced to abolish limits on the number of political parties. Unfortunately, greater unrest would result from the government's unpopular austerity measures to aid the deteriorating economic situation.

Despite the controversy, Diouf was relelected in 1988 amid charges of fraud. The elections led to violence and Diouf's government decided to ban all public meetings. In 1989, two diplomatic crises arose to compound the problem: a maritime border dispute with Guinea-Bissau (later resolved by the UN in favour of Senegal) and a conflict with Mauritania over grazing rights. The confederation with The Gambia was dissolved in the same year. Diouf was reelected yet again in 1993.

In early 2000, Abdoulaye Wade of the Senegalese Democratic Party finally defeated Diouf and ended nearly 40 years of Socialist rule in Senegal. A new constitution was adopted in January 2001, which established a unicameral parliament and instituted a presidential term of five years. In April 2001, a coalition supporting President Wade won a majority in the national assembly, replacing Diouf's Socialist Party majority elected in 1998.

By the way, Senegal's national football team at the 2002 World Cup was an absolute pleasure to watch. Merci, Sénégal!

Sen"e*gal (?), n.

Gum senegal. See under Gum.

© Webster 1913.