Yearbook 2007
Senegal. According to CountryAAH, Dakar is the capital city of Senegal. Catholic priest Augustin Diamacoune Senghor, one of the leaders of the MFDC (Movement des Forces Democratique de la Casamance) separatist movement in Casamance in the south, died in January in Paris. Before the presidential and parliamentary elections during the year, several interventions were made against independent media, and the authorities banned a demonstration organized by the opposition. Idrissa Seck, who was prime minister in 2002–04, returned in January to President Abdoulaye Wades Senegal’s Democratic Party (PDS). He had been released from corruption charges the year before and formed a new party. Still, Seck decided to run for Wade in the February 25 presidential election. Prior to the election, clashes occurred between the President and Seck’s supporters. Before the election, Wade was criticized, among other things, for not doing more to reduce poverty and high unemployment.
Against all odds, the more than 80-year-old Wade already won the first round of voting by more than 55 percent, which meant there was no second round. Of the 14 opposition candidates, Seck and Socialist Party’s Ousmane Tanor Dieng received the most votes with 15 and 14 percent, respectively. The turnout was almost 71 percent. The opposition accused the government of electoral fraud, but observers from the West African cooperation organization ECOWAS considered that the election had been conducted correctly.
- According to abbreviationfinder: SG is the 2-letter acronym for the country of Senegal.
The accusations of electoral fraud led to all major opposition parties boycotting the parliamentary elections on June 3. This meant that the government-loyal party alliance Sopi (which means change on wolof) got 131 of the 150 seats in the National Assembly, 42 more than in the 200 elections. Only about a third of voters voted. When the new government was introduced a few weeks later, Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré was appointed new Prime Minister.
At the beginning of the year, Parliament decided to reintroduce the Senate. 35 of its members were appointed in August by the National Assembly and representatives of local parishes. All but one senator came from PDS. The president later appointed another 65 senators.
Heavy rainfall caused Senegal to suffer severe flooding from July to September. In August, the government promised that Senegal would increase its troop strength in Darfur, Sudan, from the 500 members of the AU force to 1,600 when a joint UN/AU force would be sent there.
At least 150 Senegalese were reported to have drowned off the coast of Morocco in October when they tried to reach Spain in an open wooden boat. Other similar accidents were also reported during the year.
During the autumn, prices of fuel and basic commodities such as rice and bread rose rapidly, which led to protests. In mid-November, the unions organized demonstrations against the rising cost of living. Shortly thereafter, crows erupted after the authorities tried to stop street sales in the capital Dakar. About 200 people were arrested in connection with the unrest, which was the worst in the city in many years. In early December, President Wade decided to reduce his government from 38 to 28 ministers in order to save money. The funds saved would go to a “national solidarity fund”.
Senegal weather in March, April and May
Average daily temperatures between 25 ° C and 40 ° C can be expected over the next three months. It gets warmest in April in Kaolack, while March is noticeably cooler in Dakar. The temperatures in Dakar are between 25 and 26 ° C and in Kaolack between 39 and 40 ° C.
Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 20-23 ° C. This is good weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.
In March, at about 0 days to be expected precipitation in April at about 0 days in May at about 0 days.
In the period from March to May, the sun shines an average of 9 to 10 hours a day. The sunniest weather in Dakar is in April, but with a little less sun you have to get by in March.