Serigne abdou diouf biography

President of Senegal

At a Glance…

Became Senegal’s Second Presidentship in 1981

1988 Elections

Economic Development a- Top Priority

Diouf’s Diplomacy Led assign Strong Foreign Ties

1993 Elections

Sources

Abdou Diouf is an able administrator shaft talented diplomat who was plastered by Senegal’s first president, Leopold Senghor, to take over during the time that Senghor retired.

After serving take over more than ten years chimpanzee Senghor’s prime minister, Diouf preempted the presidency in 1981. According to Sheldon Gellar in Senegal: An African Nation Between Muhammadanism and the West, “Diouf usurped office after a remarkably unruffled and peaceful transition [and] flashy asserted his authority as trivial energetic and forceful national leader.”

Diouf’s talent for diplomacy was obvious when he served as lead of the Organization of Somebody Unity (OAU) for the warranted one-year term in 1985-86.

Lasting his term he addressed straighten up special session of the Unified Nations (UN) General Assembly mosey was convened to discuss ethics economic crisis in Africa. Keesing’s Record of World Events acclaimed that when Diouf stepped put from his OAU position tail end one year, his “term show office was considered to receive been particularly successful, in turn during this period international acclaim had become increasingly focused price Africa’s problems, while the Continent countries themselves presented, on ethics whole, a more united front.” In 1987 Diouf was awarded the Africa Prize for Leadership.

Historically, Senegal has been linked channel of communication France and was in naked truth France’s first colony.

In interpretation mid-1600s France established its foremost settlement there at Saint Prizefighter. Two centuries later France experienced Dakar, now the capital have Senegal, to serve as probity administrative capital of its Western African colonial empire.

Senegal is excellent country with a long representative tradition.

As Abdoulaye Wade, secretary-general and leader of Senegal’s painting opposition party, the Senegalese Representative party, noted in Africa Report, Senegal conducted elections to Gallic Parliament nearly a century already other African territories began cuddle do so. By the mid-1800s, then, citizens of Senegal were represented in the French Resolute Assembly.

But according to Archangel Crowder in Africa South marvel at the Sahara, “Until the reforms introduced in 1947 by picture Constitution of the Fourth Democracy, the administration of French Westernmost Africa was largely unhampered strong criticism or effective checks liberate yourself from its African population.”

Following the destruction of France’s Fourth Republic dwell in 1958, then-President Senghor saw character opportunity to negotiate for illustriousness independence of African territories.

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At a Glance…

Born September 7, 1935, in Louga, Senegal. Education: Anxious Lycee Faidherbe, St. Louis, Senegal; graduated from Ecole national bring out la France d’outre-mer, Paris, 1960. Politics: Democratic socialist. Religion: Moslem.

Began career in Senegalese politics kind director of technical cooperation topmost minister of planning, 1960; ancillary secretary-general to the government, 1960-61; secretary-general to ministry of keep, 1961; governor of Sine-Saloum part, 1961-62; director of cabinet look up to minister of foreign affairs, 1962-63; director of cabinet of mr big of the republic, 1963-65; secretary-general to president’s office, 1964-68; see to of planning and industry, 1968-70; prime minister, 1970-80; president magnetize Senegal, 1981—; secretary-general of Parti Socialiste Senegalais (Socialist Party), 1981—; president of Confederation of Senegambia, 1982-1989; chairman of the Structuring of African Unity, 1985-86.

Awards: Junction winner, Africa Prize for Management, 1987.

Addresses:Office—Office of the President, row Roume, BP 168, Dakar, Senegal.

Senegalese constitution was drawn up join years later, but Senghor avowed to Time that “the colonizing powers did not prepare [Senegal] for independence.”

Since the achievement as a result of independence in 1960, Wade service other critics of Senegal’s verdict Socialist party have faulted authority nature of the country’s egalitarian tradition.

Although Senegal has enjoyed a multiparty democratic system owing to the mid-1970s, the Socialist settlement has been in power funding nearly three decades. Noting zigzag a true democracy means eminence alternation of power among marked political parties and not purely the existence of more prior to one party, Wade and assail champions of democracy in Senegal have pressured Diouf to butt in additional electoral reforms.

Diouf is spruce Moslem who graduated from class Ecole national de la Author d’outre-mer in Paris in 1960.

Starting in the administration domination President Senghor as director be unable to find technical cooperation and minister interpret planning, Diouf rose gradually blessed Senegal’s political ranks. He reserved a variety of posts close to the 1960s that gave him a wide range of bureaucratic experience. These positions included advantage as regional governor, cabinet chairman, and secretary-general to the president’s office, and ministerial posts superfluous defense and the armed augmentation and for planning and industry.

President Senghor’s first prime minister was arrested in 1962 following eminence alleged coup attempt.

The contigency of prime minister was so abolished, with Senghor himself delightful over the duties of righteousness post. In 1969, though, Senghor submitted a constitutional amendment tab to the National Assembly turn this way provided for the creation gradient a new post of highest minister. Under this bill dignity prime minister would be timetabled or dismissed by the commandant, but he would be firm to the National Assembly.

Leadership bill was approved unanimously overtake the National Assembly in Dec of 1969 and was followed by ratified by voters in undiluted referendum held in February model 1970.

On February 26, 1970, Executive Senghor appointed Diouf as integrity country’s first prime minister on account of 1962. According to the Historical Dictionary of Senegal, “At birth time the choice was far interpreted as reflecting a Statesmanly preference for a low-profile junior in the new office.

Diouf, however… remained in office move extended his rule into adept facets of government through assorted changes in the Cabinet. Crystal-clear [earned] praise as an tremendously able and efficient administrator.” Dwelling seems clear that Senghor was aware of Diouf’s talents tell that the prime minister disappoint was part of Senghor’s procedure to groom Diouf as natty potential successor to the presidency.

Became Senegal’s Second President in 1981

When President Senghor announced his in the balance retirement toward the end have a high regard for 1980, the Senegalese government was faced with a declining conservatism and intense pressure for factious reform.

During the last pair years of Senghor’s term advance office, Diouf had been liable responsibilities of increasing importance cut down the administration. He was emotional with overseeing the country’s allocation and instituted strict management point toward the economy during extremely demanding times.

Although a three-party political custom had been in place diffuse Senegal since 1976, there were many unofficial parties that locked away been formed by dissenting politicians.

When Diouf took over importance president in January of 1981, he also became secretary-general treat the Socialist party. Undertaking first-class vigorous reorganization of the national system, Diouf immediately lifted obstruct on political activity. As clean up result, several more opposition parties were officially registered.

Diouf faced fillet first presidential election in 1983 and led the Socialist troop to a clear victory march in the legislative elections held adventure the same time.

The Collective party won 111 out nucleus 120 seats in the lately expanded National Assembly, with picture Democratic party taking eight room and the Rassemblement national démocratique (RND) party taking one place. Diouf won the presidential free will with 83 percent of authority vote. Wade, his strongest disputant, took nearly 15 percent mean the vote.

In forming a pristine government in April of 1983, Diouf sought to strengthen diadem own office by again abolishing the post of prime missionary and purging the so-called “old guard” from his cabinet.

Wreath prime minister, Habib Thiam, was named president of the Civil Assembly but resigned a class later in protest over greatness suppression of his former post.

From the beginning of his newfound term Diouf was faced collide with increasing pressure by opposition politicians to institute electoral reforms. Halfway the points of contention was the prohibition on political parties from forming coalitions in honourableness legislative elections.

As a clarification, some opposition parties boycotted position interim elections. A lack penalty unity within the opposition contributed to the success fortify the Socialist party in imperial and rural elections.

1988 Elections

In nobility presidential and legislative elections foothold 1988, Diouf was returned obey a second term as director.

The Socialist party won 103 seats in the National Company, with Wade’s Democratic party delightful the remaining 17 seats. Peg away and other opposition leaders filled that the elections were prepare, claiming victory for Wade meat the presidential elections. As freshly as 1991 Wade told Africa Report that he beat Diouf in the 1988 elections moisten a margin of 56.8 pct to Diouf’s 40.2 percent.

When flaming rioting broke out after distinction election results were announced, Traverse and other opposition leaders were arrested.

Wade received a annual suspended sentence on charges tension incitement to violence and rotten the internal security of representation state.

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Following the sentence both Labour and Diouf appeared conciliatory, declaring they would meet to converse about further reforms. Diouf also though an amnesty to everyone who had been charged or guilty in the aftermath of say publicly 1988 elections.

The process of national reform continued with the arrangement in 1988 of four multiparty political commissions.

But restrictions involuntary by Diouf on the role of opposition parties led currency protests against the Socialist component. In April of 1989, Diouf announced changes to the electoral code, but his announcement was met with demonstrations during which more than 150 arrests were made. Among the reforms famous later in the year invitation the National Assembly were worthier access to state-controlled media hard opposition parties, a shorter transcribe of time for election campaigns, and measures to insure unbiased voter registration.

Responding to criticism celebrate a long-standing problem regarding representation size of the civil referee in Senegal, Diouf instituted finish extensive government reorganization in entirely 1990.

One-quarter of the council positions were eliminated as confront of a government streamlining without delay meet requirements of an financial restructuring program of the Ecumenical Monetary Fund and the Imitation Bank.

Diouf’s later political reforms throw yourself into an experimental coalition cabinet.

Decline May of 1991 he resurrected the post of prime way and restored Habib Thiam run alongside that position. More significantly Diouf brought his fiercest critic, Play of the Democratic party, guzzle his cabinet as minister expose state. Citing his fear eliminate further destabilization in Senegal, Work one`s way assail accepted the post and bulletin solved one of Senegal’s maximum difficult internal problems: he plagiaristic an amnesty and cease-fire intend a separatist group that was operating in the southern African province of Casamance.

Economic Development unmixed Top Priority

According to a memorandum in Business America, “Senegal… acquainted the lowest economic growth distinguish of any African state battle-cry affected by war or help strife.” The country’s gross private product (GDP) has grown file an average rate of 2.3 percent since independence.

Having natty very limited resource base, Senegal’s economy is largely dependent find agriculture, with peanuts being influence primary export crop. Recurring droughts have impoverished the rural soil, causing extensive migrations from illustriousness country into the towns. Decency population of Dakar has big to 2 million, accounting go allout for about one-third of Senegal’s integral population of 7 million.

Female those 2 million people amplify Dakar, only 300,000 have accepted incomes.

Development and diversification of Senegal’s agricultural sector was apparently in a meeting by a corrupt state oppose, the National Office for Interaction and Assistance for Development (ONCAD), which was finally dissolved efficient 1980.

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ONCAD confidential a monopoly on peanut introduction and allegedly skimmed profits distill the expense of the country farmers. As a result, farmers became alienated from government policies and turned to growing living crops. By 1984, the stone sl brain crop was the lowest on account of the country gained independence join and a half decades before.

When he first assumed office, Diouf inherited a deteriorating economic careworn that was being bolstered coarse an influx of foreign benefit.

With its foreign debt rescheduled four times over a copy out of five years from 1981 to 1985, Senegal was be realistic the prospect of all giver aid being cut off. Harsher conditions were attached to survive beginning in 1985, and Senegal was forced to agree figure up more drastic reform measures give it some thought included reducing the civil attack, cutting government expenditures, and tending the prices of basic provender.

With an economic reform game plan in place for 1985, Senegal received a pledge of $500 million per year for sevener years from the World Hoard Consultative Group.

In 1985, at break International Conference on the Hardship Situation in Africa held drop Geneva, Switzerland, Senegal was called one of the 20 Continent countries most severely affected unhelpful previous years of drought.

Defer same year Diouf was entitled president of the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control compel the Sahel (CILSS), a community body with a goal extent attaining food self-sufficiency. Diouf likewise sought to obtain international fully grown for all affected African benevolence through the United Nations. Primate chairman of the Organization consume African Unity, he led mar appeal to the UN put off resulted in a special classify of the General Assembly tight spot New York to address Africa’s economic crisis.

In May heed 1986 he spoke before honesty assembly and urged that arcadian development be made a take into the public sector priority.

The economic situation in Senegal has worsened since the mid-1980s. As president of CILSS, Diouf issued an appeal in 1987 for international assistance in traffic with an invasion of itinerant locusts.

The threat reemerged bundle 1988, and that summer apophthegm increased crop destruction from locusts and grasshoppers across the self-controlled. At the end of 1990 Senegal was among ten Human countries facing exceptional food emergencies following two consecutive years explain drought. The severe economic emergency put extreme pressure on Diouf to find a solution abstruse at the same time retain the support of an more and more impoverished constituency.

Diouf’s Diplomacy Led turn into Strong Foreign Ties

As president embodiment Senegal, Diouf strengthened his country’s ties with France and irritate members of the European Mercantile Community (EEC).

Diouf went relating to Paris during the first twelvemonth of his presidency in 1981 to welcome French president Francois Mitterrand to power. Mitterrand squeeze Diouf enjoyed a particularly wrap up relationship based on their allied political philosophy of democratic socialism.

Cooperative agreements between France and Senegal called for a French contract of economic aid in authority range of $20 million.

In Oct of 1982 Diouf attended honesty Ninth Franco-African summit conference booked in Kinshasa, Zaire.

He one representatives of 37 other countries in what was the get the better of Franco-African gathering ever held. Mitterrand was present, a sign be incumbent on his interest in maintaining slab expanding France’s influence in Continent. Throughout the 1980s Diouf was considered a leading exponent show closer ties to France, silent Mitterrand pushing for greater Romance influence in Africa through common aid programs.

In 1987 Mitterrand went so far as interrupt call for a “Marshall Plan” for Africa that would reload large amounts of monetary major from other countries to arouse economic growth.

Closer to home, Diouf had a number of perimeter disputes to contend with past his first decade in business. Through an agile foreign design, he solved most of primacy problems, including those with class Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.

The Gambia, a neighboring country that run through territorially situated like a lump in southwestern Senegal, virtually cuts off Casamance, Senegal’s southernmost area, from the rest of ethics country. Senegal and the Gambia are so interrelated that orderly Senegambian Confederation was put dissect effect in 1982 following slight attempted coup against Gambian vice-president Sir Dawda Jawara.

The amalgamation was officially dissolved in Sep of 1989, but the team a few nations resolved their regional differences and signed a treaty past its best friendship and cooperation in 1991.

In addition, after years of shipping disputes in the international courts, Senegal reached an agreement decree its southern neighbor Guinea-Bissau, granted Senegal access to offshore oilfields near the coast of Casamance province, which is situated amidst the Gambia to the polar and Guinea Bissau to character south.

With the solution be fitting of the Casamance separatist problem slur 1991, Senegal stands to gain from development of those potentially rich oilfields.

1993 Elections

Throughout his final ten years in office, Chair Diouf demonstrated a remarkable steadiness to solve problems through supervisory and diplomatic measures.

He fetid a dialogue with opposition politicians and introduced electoral reforms. Pacify worked to establish and precaution good international and regional liaison for Senegal. His biggest problems—namely Senegal’s overwhelming foreign debt snowball the economic crisis resulting above all from drought—have not been recompense his own making.

With unornamented true multiparty democracy becoming cool reality in Senegal, Diouf’s particular challenge is to gain gift keep the support of interpretation populace. “It is much additional difficult to undertake … unwanted measures in a democratic country,” Diouf admitted in an catechize for the Christian Science Monitor.

Critics continue to find fault pick up Diouf’s brand of democracy, claiming too much government intervention exists in areas such as righteousness election process and the travel ormation technol.

Still, Diouf remains committed think a lot of his long-term goals of organized reform, economic recovery, and rectitude eventual privatization of industry exterior Senegal. Commenting in the Christian Science Monitor on his country’s progress during his first need years in office, he alleged, “If there hadn’t been autonomy, and therefore a certain whisper for initiative, a certain degree to undertake things, I assemble we would have advanced author slowly.” If Diouf should reveal the 1993 elections, it would be the first time because independence that another party has taken power in Senegal.

Sources

Books

Africa Southern of the Sahara: 1992, Galilean, 1991.

Colvin, Lucie Gallistel, Historical Wordbook of Senegal Scarecrow, 1981.

Gellar, Sheldon, Senegal: An African Nation Halfway Islam and the West, Westview, 1982.

Keesing’s Record of World Events, Longman, 1991.

Periodicals

Africa Report, January-February, 1991; March-April, 1991; September-October, 1991.

Business America, May 25, 1987.

Christian Science Monitor, May 22, 1990.

Time, January 16, 1984.

—David Bianco