Located in one of the most turbulent regions in the world – currently the scene of violent military coups and civil wars in eight neighbouring countries – Senegal on the West African coast has been a rare haven of relative stability ever since it gained independence from France in 1960, with a matchless record of mostly peaceful transfers of power.
Now, however, after decades of disappointment and economic stagnation, in March 2024 the people took to the streets, successfully resisting an attempted presidential coup, electing to office the leader of a new democratic political party who only weeks ago was languishing in jail, and dispatching the old discredited political class to retirement.
A new chapter that’s full of hopes and expectations for the youth has just opened up. But will the new leadership be up to the challenge?
This week we welcomed the Senegalese socialist Ousmane Diop who introduced a discussion on what this could mean. Ousmane has in the past worked in Britain for the National Health Service, the UK Parliament and the British Council, and has recently returned to Britain having spent several years in Senegal. See the recording HERE