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Senegal, 49 years of international recognition
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-04-01 09:54 Senegal will celebrate the 49th anniversary of its access to international sovereignty on April 4, 2009. This event is celebrated with joy and solemnity and mainly with a majestic civil and military parade in Dakar. It is also the occasion to be reminded of Senegal's role in the world.
Senegal is open to the world. Its strategic position makes it an ideal platform and the gateway to West Africa. It has a legendary reputation as the civilization of "give and take", which symbolises its balance between a strong cultural background and its openness to the international world. Dakar, the capital of Senegal is reputed for its quality of life. It has hosted several international events such as the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (1991 and 2008), the World Education Summit (2000) and several international sporting events on football, basketball, athletics and sailing. The politics of engagement is characterised by its willingness to strengthen regional integration. A political willingness for African integration Since the early days, Senegal has proven its political engagement in developing close ties with neighboring countries after the colonial era. The first attempt was the Mali Federation which had a short existence. Another attempted union was then created between Senegal and Gambia as the Senegambia Confederation in 1982 but was dissolved in 1989. These set backs haven't sullied the government's willingness to create and promote regional and subregional integration zones. As such, Senegal has a prominent role in several organisations such as the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River(OMVS), the Organisation for the development of the Gambia River (OMVG), the Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel(CILSS). Despite a small population and restricted means,Senegal wishes to be a major player in the world. Its geographical location and its exceptional human ressources grant it a worldwide recognition. China, a special relationship Senegal wishes to broadcast a message of peace, no discrimination and establishment of fair relations between Nations. As such, the PRC, by actively promoting fair international relations, is an ideal partner for the country. The bilateral cooperation between Senegal and the PRC and the cooperation of the "Sino Africa Cooperation Forum" are very healthy. This has been confirmed by the two visits to China of the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye WADE and the recent visit of the PRC President Hu Jintao in Senegal. A Major Democracy The worldwide recognition of Senegal has been confirmed by its peaceful and established democratic system. This has been made possible thanks to regular elections which have contributed to changes of leadership in the states bodies. The President of Senegal is the main representative of the Republic. He is elected for seven years through "first passed the post" system. Since a constitutional reform in 2008, the President can only be reelected once. This was done in order to reinforce the democracy in the country. Since its independance in 1960, The Senegal has had 3 Presidents: - Leopold Sedar SENGHOR (1960-1980) - Abdou Diouf (1981-2000) - Abdoulaye WADE elected in March 2000 and reelected in February 2007. Since the start of his Presidency in 2000, President Abdoulaye WADE has emphasized a liberal economy based on public-private partnerships. To complement this, several measures have been implemented in order to improve the business environment. These reforms have been internationally acclaimed. As such, the magazine Doing Business 2009 has proclaimed Senegal as 1st African reforming country and 5th on a worldwide ranking. Through a major project, President Wade has put Agriculture as a national priority. This project aims to answer the food challenges many African countries encounter, to avert any risk of food shortage or famine and to offer the Senegalese population food security. In parallel, Infrastructure Projects have been launched. The objective is to place Senegal on the map as a destination for foreign investments. The projects include a toll motorway, a new international airport, a standard gauge railway and a "Business City". |
