Two projects with total funding of €60 million from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa were signed in Dakar on Tuesday 25 October by European Development Commissioner Neven Mimica and Senegal's President Macky Sall “to tackle the root causes of migration”, the Commission announced the same day.
The first of these projects, worth €40 million, focuses on developing economies and local businesses in the zones from which migrants leave. The second will seek to improve people’s living conditions in the rural areas – Natanguées farms – and is worth €20 million.
€30 million from EDF. Two further agreements were signed for projects financed by the European development fund (EDF). These two projects, which will be financed by the 11th EDF, from the envelope allocated to Senegal as part of cooperation between the EU and the ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) group of countries, will support the rule of law (€10 million to improve access to a fair and efficient justice system, promote the rights of detainees and reinforce the fight against corruption and money laundering) and strengthen food security and agricultural development in the south-east region of the country (€20 million).
In Dakar, Mimica delivered the opening speech at the conference on “Migrations, governance and development in West Africa”. Senegal is one of the priority African countries with which the EU has signed migration partnerships to make it easier to return illegal migrants (see EUROPE 11648). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)