Trending 
The Senegalese government has announced financial compensation for families of those killed during the country’s political unrest between 2021 and 2024, as well as for individuals detained during the crisis. The violence, which left around 80 people dead, stemmed from a heated political dispute between former President Macky Sall and opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who is now Senegal’s president.
The country’s Minister of Family and Solidarity, Maimouna Dieye, revealed that each affected family would receive 10 million CFA francs ($15,800). “It was decided to grant a sum of 10 million CFA francs ($15,800) to each family of a person who died,” Dieye stated in a video published by the Senegalese Press Agency (APS).
Beyond financial compensation, the government will provide additional assistance to victims’ families, including healthcare coverage and social support, particularly for children under 18.
Additionally, more than 2,000 former detainees who were arrested during the unrest will receive a lump sum of 500,000 CFA francs ($790) each. The government had initially allocated about $8 million in December for victim compensation but had not previously disclosed specific distribution details.
In a significant policy shift, the Senegalese government also pledged to repeal an amnesty law enacted under Sall’s administration, which had shielded individuals involved in politically motivated violence from prosecution.
The unrest began in February 2021 over allegations that Sall was seeking a controversial third term, which opponents argued was unconstitutional. The turmoil threatened Senegal’s long-standing reputation as a stable democracy in a region marred by military coups.
