On Tuesday 3 March, the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the Senegalese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yassine Fall, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, and the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, agreed to strengthen the strategic partnership between the European Union and Senegal.
At a meeting in Dakar, the leaders focused their discussions on three priorities for the partnership: - Senegal’s economic transformation thanks to investments under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy; - regional peace, security and stability; - migration and mobility based on shared responsibility.
Investments. The EU’s combined funding instruments have already mobilised significant investment in infrastructure, energy, digitalisation, agriculture and the pharmaceutical sector. As part of this mission, Commissioner Síkela visited the Regional Express Train (TER) site. The EU, in collaboration with the French Development Agency and the Senegalese government, will finance studies to extend the TER to other regions.
The European Commission’s objective is to strengthen territorial integration and position Senegal as a regional transport hub. In addition, the initiative should help to strengthen the strategic corridors in West Africa (see EUROPE 13695/7), in particular the Praia-Dakar-Abidjan axis, improving connectivity, competitiveness and economic growth.
Safety and mobility. The security aspect of the partnership, which was at the heart of the discussions in the context of the conflict in the Sahel (see EUROPE 13715/19), resulted in the official handover of 11 new launches and 6 remotorised boats to the Senegalese police and gendarmerie, according to a joint press release.
This equipment and the inauguration of a maritime maintenance centre in Dakar are aimed at strengthening operational capacities for securing borders and “intercepting all types of traffic at sea”, particularly those involving human beings and drugs.
At the same time, the EU and Senegal have undertaken to step up the fight against illegal migration and organised cross-border crime, while promoting the return and readmission of irregular migrants.
On X, Magnus Brunner welcomed the fact that the “partnership reflects mutually beneficial cooperation that strengthens stability, creates opportunity, and serves the interests of both Senegalese and European citizen”. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit and Justine Manaud)