Senegal enters last day of tense campaign ahead of key legislative election

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Politicians in Senegal wrapped up a tense electoral campaign on Friday ahead of a key legislative election this weekend that's set to determine if the country's newly-elected president can carry out ambitious reforms. Voters in Senegal will on Sunday choose...

The EU says it won't renew a fishing agreement with Senegal criticized by many in the country

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The European Union will not renew a fishing agreement with Senegal that has been criticized by many Senegalese, the EU delegation in the West African country announced Tuesday. The decision comes after the EU identified Senegal as a “non-cooperating country"...

At an art festival in Dakar, artists from both sides of the Atlantic examine the legacy of slavery

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A whirlwind of color and art at the opening of this year's Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Art in the Senegalese capital stood in stark contrast to the serious topic of slavery featuring in the artworks of guest artists from the United States. The U.S....

Senegalese women take aim at polluting countries in march for climate justice

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — About 50 Senegalese women climate activists hit the streets of Dakar Saturday to demand climate justice ahead of COP29 in a march held annually since 2021, but that organizers say is particularly pertinent this year. Participants yelled “Down with...

In Senegal, the bastion of the region's Francophonie, French is giving way to local languages

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — For decades Senegal, a former French colony in West Africa, has been touted as the bastion of the French language in the region. Leopold Sedar Senghor, the country’s first president and a poet, is considered one of the founding fathers of the concept of Francophonie, a...

Book Review: Ta-Nehisi Coates visits Senegal, South Carolina and the Middle East for 'The Message'

Ta-Nehisi Coates always writes with a purpose, so naming his latest collection “The Message” is nothing if not on-brand. But what’s the actual message? Consisting of three pieces of non-fiction, the book is part memoir, part travelogue, and part writing primer. It covers his recent trips to...

At least 30 bodies found on a boat along a migrant route off Senegal

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — At least 30 bodies were found on a boat drifting off the coast of Senegal’s capital, the military said Monday, as the number of migrants leaving West Africa increases. The navy was informed of the vessel's presence on Sunday evening and sent out a boat...

Senegal's president dissolves parliament to call a snap legislative election

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dissolved the opposition-led parliament on Thursday, paving the way for a snap legislative election six months after he was voted in on an anti-establishment platform. The new election will take place Nov. 17, Faye...

Senegal's president dissolves opposition-controlled parliament to pave the way for a snap legislative election

After migrant boat tragedy, Senegal's president vows sanctions against people smugglers

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal promised severe sanctions against people smugglers during his visit on Wednesday to the town of Mbour, the departure point of a boat that capsized on Sunday, killing at least 37 people. “We will relentlessly track...