Tag: Senegal

Senegal’s President Macky Sall has launched an emergency aid plan after a seven-hour downpour caused widespread flooding.

The water minister said there had been more rain in a single day than the total amount that usually falls during the three-month rainy season.

There has been widespread damage and most parts of the country are flooded.

One person is missing in the central region of Kaolack.

Dozens have been killed and thousands displaced during a week of heavy rains across West Africa’s Sahel region.

Source: bbc.com

Senegalese singer Balla Sidibe – a founding member of the Orchestra Baobab – has died in Dakar.

The country’s musical association said Sidibe was in his sixties and died in his sleep “after a very full day of rehearsals with his musical comrades”.

Orchestra Baobab’s blend of Cuban rhythms, African sounds, soul and jazz made it one of the most successful groups of the 1970s.

Source: BBC

Senegal is easing coronavirus restrictions starting Tuesday, including reopening of mosques and churches.

Mosques are now allowed to reopen for prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, and churches will also be allowed to accept worshippers.

The nighttime curfew has also been reduced by two hours and will now run from 21:00 to 05:00 local time.

Markets and businesses, which have only been allowed to open a few days a week during the lockdown, will now only need to be closed for a day’s cleaning each week.

In a televised address late on Monday, President Macky Sall said that Senegalese would need to “adapt individual and collective behaviour” and “learn to live with the virus”.

The announcement came as the country recorded 177 new cases on Monday, the highest jump in a single day since the first case was recorded on 2 March.

Senegal has so far recorded 1,886 coronavirus cases in total, including 19 deaths.

The new measures come amid a push to find a way to balance public health with economic realities, with the virus causing loss of jobs and a slowdown in activity in the continent.

Source: bbc.com

As part of its plan to push for more renewable energy, Senegal inaugurated what it describes as West Africa’s largest wind power plant on Monday.

The zero-emissions power plant will supply up to 15% of Senelec’s energy production. Senelec is Senegal’s national electricity company.

Located in Taiba Ndiaye, about 86 kilometers from Dakar, the country’s capital city, the wind power plant has a capacity of 158 megawatts.

According to a video posted on President Macky Sall’s official Twitter page, the power plant was built in 24 months.

“A new step in the energy market towards an emerging Senegal. Emerging Senegal, a Senegal that is fueled by its momentum through an energy mix that combines all of our potentials to ensure continuous quality service at competitive costs,” President Sall wrote.

It was built by British renewable power company Lekela, which also has wind farms in Egypt and South Africa.

The government of Senegal has made the development of the power sector a key component of its plan to make the West African country an emerging economy by 2025.

One of its priorities for achieving this is increasing access to electricity, particularly in rural areas through wind power and photovoltaics — the conversion of light into electricity, according to the country’s 2018 energy policy.

Electricity has reached only about 65% of Senegal’s 15 million people, according to data from the US Central Intelligence Agency.

Through the wind power plant, 2 million more Senegalese will gain access to electricity, according to a tweet from President Sall’s office.

Source: CNN

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Senegal, where he will hold talks with President Macky Sall focused on strengthening security ties and promoting deeper economic cooperation.

The U.S. officially recognized Senegal as an independent state in 1960, and the two countries have forged a close relationship over the past six decades of diplomatic ties. Senior State Department officials have praised Senegal as a role model for democratic institutions, stability and tolerance in West Africa.

“We see Senegal as an anchor of democracy and linchpin of security for West Africa,” said Pompeo. The U.S. regards Senegal as a critical ally in U.S. efforts to advance peace and security in West Africa and worldwide.

Washington has obligated more than $106 million in security assistance to support Senegal’s security institutions since 2014. The U.S., via the Departments of State and Defense, helps train and equip the Senegalese military and police to counter the evolving threats of regional terrorism and cross-border violence that spills over from the Sahel region.

The Defense Department is conducting a global force review and has indicated there likely will be a reduction, but not a complete withdrawal, of U.S. forces from Africa. Ahead of Pompeo’s visit, Sall said a drawdown of American troops from Africa would be a mistake, and it would be “misunderstood” by African leaders.

The United States is the largest bilateral health donor in Senegal, with approximately $60 million in bilateral health funding in 2019 to support maternal and child health, nutrition, and efforts to combat malaria and HIV/AIDS.

‘The West is Winning,’ Pompeo Tells China, Russia The US secretary of state responded to criticism of US policies

After leaving Senegal late Monday, Pompeo will travel to Luanda, Angola, and then Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He also will visit Saudi Arabia and Oman before returning to Washington after his nine-day trip.

In Luanda, he will meet with President Joao Lourenco and Foreign Minister Manuel Augusto to reaffirm U.S. support for Angola’s anti-corruption and democratization efforts.

In Addis Ababa, Pompeo will meet with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Sahle-Work Zewde to discuss joint efforts to promote regional security and to support Ethiopia’s political and economic reform agenda. Additionally, he will meet with African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and give a speech.

The chief U.S. diplomat began his trip at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where he met with a number of foreign leaders, including Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani. A senior State Department official told reporters a reduction in violence deal has been reached with the Taliban, although the terror group needs to show it can deliver on throttling back the suicide bombings and rocket attacks.