Senegal Government

What is the capital of Senegal?

Country Name Sénégal
Full Country Name Republic of Senegal
Local - Long Republique du Sénégal
Local - Short Sénégal
Former Name Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation
Etymology- history of name named for the Senegal River that forms the northern border of the country; many theories exist for the origin of the river name; perhaps the most widely cited derives the name from "Azenegue," the Portuguese appellation for the Berber Zenaga people who lived north of the river
Government Type presidential republic
Capital Name Dakar
Capital - geographic coordinate 14 44 N, 17 38 W
Capital Time Difference UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Independence 4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
National Holiday Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Constitution history: previous 1959 (pre-independence), 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001, promulgated 22 January 2001

amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; passage requires Assembly approval and approval in a referendum; the president can bypass a referendum and submit an amendment directly to the Assembly, which requires at least three-fifths majority vote; the republican form of government is not amendable; amended several times, last in 2019

Senegal Capital City Map

Source: Google Maps

Senegal Government and Politics

Who is the president of Senegal?

Executive Branch: chief of state: President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (since 2 April 2024)

head of government: Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO (since 2 April 2024)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single, renewable 5-year term; election last held on 24 March 2024 (next to be held in 2029)

election results: 2024: Bassirou Diomaye FAYE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (PASTEF) 54%, Amadou BA (APR) 36%, other 10%

2019: Macky SALL reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Macky SALL (APR) 58.3%, Idrissa SECK (Rewmi) 20.5%, Ousmane SONKO (PASTEF) 15.7%, other 5.5%
Citizenship Criteria: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Senegal

dual citizenship recognized: no, but Senegalese citizens do not automatically lose their citizenship if they acquire citizenship in another state

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Legal System: civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Legislative Branch: description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale (165 seats; 112 members including 15 representing Senegalese diaspora directly elected by plurality vote in single- and multi-seat constituencies and 53 members directly elected by proportional representation vote in a single nationwide constituency; member term is 5-years)

elections: last held on 31 July 2022 (next scheduled to be held in July 2027)

election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - BBY 46.6%, YAW 32.9%, WS 14.5%, other 6%; seats by party/coalition - BBY 82, YAW 42, WS 24, other 17; composition - men 92, women 73, percent of women 44%
Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (consists of the court president and 12 judges and organized into civil and commercial, criminal, administrative, and social chambers); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of 7 members, including the court president, vice president, and 5 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon recommendation of the Superior Council of the Magistrates, a body chaired by the president and minister of justice; judge tenure varies, with mandatory retirement either at 65 or 68 years; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the president and 2 by the National Assembly speaker; judges serve 6-year terms, with renewal of 2 members every 2 years

subordinate courts: High Court of Justice (for crimes of high treason by the president); Courts of Appeal; Court of Auditors; assize courts; regional and district courts; Labor Court
Regions or States: 14 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kéedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Political Parties and Leaders: Alliance for Citizenship and Work or ACT [Abdoul MBAYE]

Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar or APR [Macky SALL]

Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]

AND (National Alliance for Democracy) [Aissatou MBODJ]

And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS [Landing SAVANE]

ARC (Alternative for the next generation of citizens) [Anta Babacar NGOM]

Awalé [Abdourahmane DIOUF]

Benno Bokk Yakaar or BBY (United in Hope) [vacant] (coalition includes AFP, APR, BGC, LD-MPT, PIT, PS, and UNP)

Bokk Gis Gis coalition [Pape DIOP]

Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk [Mansour Sy DJAMIL]

Coalition Mimi 2024 [Aminata TOURE]

Dare the Future movement [Aissata Tall SALL]

Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Mamadou NDOYE]

Democratic Renaissance Congress [NA]

Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ [Cheikh Abdoulaye Bamba DIEYE]

Gainde Centrist Bloc or BCG [Jean-Paul DIAS MENDES ]

General Alliance for the Interests of the Republic or AGIR [Thierno BOCOUM]

Grand Party or GP [Malick GAKOU]

Gueum sa Bopp (Believe in yourself) [Bougane Dany GUEYE]

Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Maguette THIAM]

Jotna Coalition [Dr Abdoulaye NIANE]

Liberate the People (Yewwi Askan Wi) or YAW [Ousmane SONKO, Déthié FALL, Cheikh Tidiane YOUM]

Madicke 2019 coalition [Madicke NIANG]

National Union for the People or UNP [Abdoul MBAYE]

Only Senegal Movement [Pierre Goudiaby ATEPA]

Party for Truth and Development or PVD [Cheikh Ahmadou Kara MBAKE]

Party of Unity and Rally or PUR [Cheikh Mouhamadou Moustapha SY]

Patriotic Convergence Kaddu Askan Wi or CP-Kaddu Askan Wi [Abdoulaye BALDE]

PRP (Republican party for Progress) [Déthié FALL]

Rewmi Party [Idrissa SECK]

Save Senegal (Wallu Senegal Grand Coalition) or WS [Karim WADE] (coalition includes PDS, Jotna Coalition, Democratic Renaissance Congress)

Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Karim WADE]

Socialist Party or PS [vacant]

Tekki Movement [Mamadou Lamine DIALLO]

Réewum Ngor (Republic of Values) [Thierno Alassane SALL]

Servants (Les Serviteurs) [Pape Djibril FALL]
International Law Organization Participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International Organization Participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, CPLP (associate), ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic Representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mansour Elimane KANE (since 6 January 2020)

chancery: 2215 M ST NW, Washington, D.C. 20037

telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540

FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315; [1] (202) 629-2961

email address and website:

contact@ambasenegal-us.org

http://www.ambasenegal-us.org/index.php

consulate(s) general: Houston, New York
Diplomatic Representation from US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 10 March 2022); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau

embassy: Route des Almadies, Dakar

mailing address: 2130 Dakar Place, Washington D.C. 20521-2130

telephone: [221] 33-879-4000

email address and website:

DakarACS@state.gov

https://sn.usembassy.gov/
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