Hundreds March In Senegal Over Broken Government Promises And Rising Costs

Hundreds in Senegal’s capital Dakar protest broken government promises and a worsening cost of living.

Hundreds of workers, union members and opposition supporters marched in Senegal’s capital Dakar on Wednesday to protest what they say are broken government promises and a worsening cost-of-living, as the country is plagued by a severe debt crisis.

The protest was organized by the country’s main labor unions and the Front for the Defense of Democracy and the Republic, also known as FDR, opposition coalition.

Mody Guiro, secretary-general of the National Confederation of Senegalese Workers, the country’s largest labor union, said the government had broken a deal last year that had frozen strikes in exchange for promises of better wages and working conditions. Authorities say a record debt crisis inherited from the previous administration has left the government with little money to spend.

Protesters wearing red scarfs and union hats held signs demanding that the government rehires laid off public sector workers and lowers income taxes. Some chanted slogans calling for the ousting of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.

The West African country’s government, led by Sonko and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, came to power in April 2024, promising to carry out ambitious reforms, which included fighting corruption, creating jobs for young people and maximizing the country’s natural resource benefits.

But the ruling PASTEF party’s reform agenda has run into obstacles. A 2025 government audit revealed a larger-than-reported debt of $13 billion attributed to the previous administration. Talks with the International Monetary Fund over a new financial program have stalled as the nation’s fiscal outlook worsens.

Senegal’s debt-to-GDP ratio has surged to roughly 132%, one of the highest in Africa.

The country’s economic difficulties have deepened the daily struggles of many people, with young Senegalese among the hardest hit.

Last February, protests at Senegal’s top public university over unpaid financial aid were met with a violent response by security forces, leading to the death of a student.

A youth activist, Mohamed Fall, at the protest on Wednesday said “The country is at a standstill. It is essential that the government finds solutions to revive Senegal’s economy instead of picking fights everywhere”.

The port’s director, who was appointed shortly after President Faye came to power, has described the action as a purge of irregular contracts inherited from the previous administration. Unions disagree, arguing the workers targeted were largely those associated with the previous government, and that the firings were unlawful.