Senegal
Country in W Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean, bound on the North by
Mauritania, East by Mali, South by Guinea and Guinea- Bissau, and enclosing
the Gambia on three sides.
Government
The constitution of 1963, amended 1970, 1976, 1981, 1992, and 1993,
provides for a single-chamber 120- member national assembly, elected
by universal suffrage for a five-year term. The president, who is head
of state and commander in chief of the armed forces, is elected by universal
suffrage and serves a five-year term, renewable twice only. The president
appoints a prime minister as head of government.
Senegal's ten regions enjoy a high degree of autonomy, each having
its own appointed governor and elected assembly and controlling a separate
budget.
History
Portuguese explorers arrived in the 15th century, and French settlers
in the 17th. Senegal had a French governor from 1854, became part of
French West Africa 1895, and a territory 1902. In 1959 it formed the
Federation of Mali with French Sudan.
Independence
Senegal became an independent republic Sept 1960, with Léopold S édar
Senghor, leader of the Senegalese Progressive Union (UPS), as its first
president. Senghor was also prime minister 1962-70. The UPS was the
only legal party from 1966 until in Dec 1976 it was reconstituted as
the Senegalese Socialist Party (PS) and two opposition parties were
legally registered. In 1978 Senghor was decisively re-elected.
Senghor retired at the end of 1980 and was succeeded by Abdou Diouf,
who declared an amnesty for political offenders and permitted more parties
to register. In the 1983 elections the PS won 111 of the assembly seats
and the main opposition, the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), eight
seats. Later that year Diouf tightened control of his party and the
government, abolishing the post of prime minister. This met open, sometimes
violent, opposition, but he and the PS remained firmly in power.
In 1980 Senegal sent troops to the Gambia to protect it against a
suspected Libyan invasion, and it intervened again 1981 to thwart an
attempted coup. As the two countries came closer together, they agreed
on an eventual merger, and the confederation of Senegambia came into
being Feb 1982. Senegal maintained close links with France, allowing
it to retain military bases. In the Feb 1988 elections Diouf was re-
elected president with 73% of the vote, but his ruling party had a slightly
reduced majority in the national assembly. In April 1989 violent border
disputes, with more than 450 people killed, led to a severance of diplomatic
relations with neighbouring Mauritania. Over 50,000 people were repatriated
from both countries May 1989. In Aug 1989 formal recognition was given
to the termination of the unsuccessful federation of Senegambia.
During 1993 there were clashes between government forces and separatist
rebels in S Casamance province. A cease-fire was agreed July 1993, but
this broke down during 1995.
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