Senegal (country)

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Country in West Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean, bounded north by Mauritania, east by Mali, south by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, and enclosing the Gambia on three sides.

Government
Under the constitution of 1963, as amended, Senegal has a presidential system. The president, who is head of state and government 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. There is a single-chamber 120-member national assembly, elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term. Senegal's ten regions enjoy a high degree of autonomy, each having its own appointed governor and elected assembly and controlling a separate budget. There is a multiparty system, with free and fair elections.

History
Islam was introduced to Senegal in the 11th century and today 95% of the population are Muslims. 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 in 1895, and a territory in 1902. In 1959 it formed the Mali Federation with French Sudan.

Independence
Senegal became an independent republic in September 1960, with Léopold Sédar Senghor, leader of the Senegalese Progressive Union (UPS), as its first president. Senegal maintained close links with France, allowing it to retain military bases. In 1962, prime minister Mamadou Dia was imprisoned after attempting a coup, and a new constitution gave President Senghor, who also became prime minister, increased power. The UPS was the only legal party from 1966 until in December 1976 it was reconstituted as the Senegalese Socialist Party (PS) and two opposition parties were legally registered.

Senghor retired from politics in 1980 and handed over power to Abdou Diouf, who declared an amnesty for political offenders and permitted more parties to register. The opposition Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) began to win assembly seats and strongly opposed Diouf's decision in 1983 to abolish the post of prime minister (the post was restated in 1992).

Senegambia confederation
In 1980 Senegal sent troops to the Gambia to protect it against a suspected Libyan invasion, and it intervened again in 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 in February 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries never, however, developed and in 1989 the confederation was dissolved.

Since 1982, the government has faced violent guerrilla resistance in the Casamance region in the south. In April 1989 violent border disputes, with more than 450 people killed, led to a severance of diplomatic relations (until 1992) with neighbouring Mauritania. Over 50,000 people were repatriated from both countries in May 1989. In 1993, following further clashes with separatist rebels in Casamance, the government agreed a ceasefire, which held until 1995.

Opposition to Diouf and peaceful transition of power
Diouf served four terms as president 1981–2000 and encouraged broader political participation and a reduced role for government in the economy. Following disputed elections in 1998, which were won by the ruling Socialist Party amid claims of fraud by the opposition, a new opposition alliance was formed – the Alliance of Forces for Change. This comprised the PDS, the African Party for Democracy and Socialism (PADS), and the Convention for Democrats and Patriots. The national assembly passed a law in 1998 allowing Abdou Diouf to be ‘president for life’, but he was defeated in the March 2000 presidential elections by Abdoulaye Wade, leader of the opposition for over 25 years. This prompted Diouf's retirement from politics.

Constitutional change
In January 2001, voters overwhelmingly approved by national referendum a new constitution which guaranteed the right to form political parties and gave equal property rights to women for the first time. In March 2001, President Wade appointed Madior Boyé as Senegal's first woman prime minister. Wade's Sopi (Change) coalition, formed by his Parti Démocratique Sénégalais (PDS; Senegalese Democratic Party),won the April 2001 parliamentary elections. Wade introduced further liberalizing economic reforms, including privatizations. In 2005, he agreed a peace treaty with Casamance separatists. But opposition to Wade began to mount from 2006.

White represents a desire for peace and liberty. Green symbolizes freedom and agricultural wealth. Red stands for the courage of spilt blood of the freedom fighters. Effective date: 22 November 1990. >>