SENEGAL: RISING TO THE CHALLENGES OF MODERNIZATION In a region afflicted with terrorism and political crises, Senegal stands out as a model of stability and economic growth. The country has been on the path to modernity for decades and since the adoption of the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE), has been carrying out an unprecedented economic development policy.
Senegal, shaped like a lion’s head, so one says, is situated on the Atlantic coast and is bordered by Mauritania, Mali and the two Guineas (Conakry and Bissau). Lying in its mid-section is The Gambia, an enclave of close to 300 km. According to the National Agency of Statistics and Demography (2018 Report), Senegal has a surface area of 196,712 km2, a population of close to 15 million inhabitants, and a population density of 71.8 per square kilometer.
MANY QUALITIES THAT FURTHER EMERGENCE Faced with the growing risks of terrorism in the Sahel, Senegal stands out as a protected island. It is a stable country where the State is respected thanks to a tightknit regional structure. With a population that is 95% Muslim, the
State can also rely on the support of religious brotherhoods which prevent the spread of extremist ideologies, unlike the situation in the other countries in the sub-region.
STABLE POLITICS AND SECURITY Senegal is a model of religious tolerance. In 1960, religious leaders did not hesitate to back Léopold Sédar Senghor, a Catholic, for the supreme position of president. Senghor held that position from September 1960 through December 1980. Christian and Muslim holy days were holidays on the Senegalese calendar, and it was not unusual to have members of both faiths in the same family. Politically Senegal is a showcase of democracy. This is where Africa’s first democratic elections
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