Senegal protests expose cracks in government reform promises

Hundreds of workers and opposition supporters marched in the Senegalese capital of Dakar on April 8th to protest rising living costs and what they described as unfulfilled government promises, the Associated Press reported on April 9th.

The demonstration was organised by Senegal’s main labour unions and the Front for the Defence of Democracy and the Republic (FDR), an opposition coalition.

Protesters gathered in the capital, wearing union insignia and carrying signs calling for lower taxes and the reinstatement of laid-off public-sector workers.

Some demonstrators also called for the removal of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko as frustration grows over the cost of living.

Union leaders said the government had failed to honour a social stability pact agreed in May 2025 under which unions suspended strike action in exchange for commitments on wages and working conditions.

Mody Guiro, head of the National Confederation of Senegalese Workers, said those commitments had not been met.

Authorities have pointed to a debt crisis inherited from the previous administration, saying it has limited the government’s ability to increase spending.

The government, led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Sonko since April 2024, had pledged reforms including job creation, anti-corruption measures and greater returns from natural resources.

However, a 2025 audit found that public debt was higher than previously reported, reaching about $13 billion. Talks with the International Monetary Fund on a new financial programme have since stalled amid intensifying fiscal pressures.

Senegal’s debt-to-GDP ratio has risen to around 132%, among the highest levels in Africa.

Economic strain has affected large parts of the population, particularly younger people, with roughly 75% of Senegal’s population under 35.

Over 700 workers at the port of Dakar have been laid off since early 2025 as part of efforts to restructure state institutions.

Some dismissed workers said the measures contradicted earlier government commitments. “This is not what they promised people. They said they were going to create jobs and develop the country, but they did the complete opposite,” said Pape Laobe Samb, who worked at the port for over 12 years before being laid off.

Others said the layoffs targeted employees linked to the previous administration, a claim unions have disputed.

Recent unrest has also centred on universities, where protests over unpaid student stipends have highlighted frustration among young people facing rising living costs.

A student died during clashes at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar in February, with rights groups raising concerns over the use of force by security services.

The protests have underscored broader discontent among youth, who were key supporters of the current government but say promised reforms have not been delivered.

Associated Press, Agence Presse Africaine, Maghrebi.org