Senegal

In 1982 Senegal joined with its neighbor, The Gambia, to form the confederation of Senegambia, headed by Diouf; the confederation collapsed in 1989, but in 1991 the two nations signed a new treaty of cooperation. The late 1980s were marked by border tensions with Mauritania, sparked by a dispute over grazing rights. More than 400 people, mostly Senegalese, were killed in border clashes, and war was barely averted. Also in the 1980s, an armed separatist movement arose in the Casamance region (the part of Senegal south of The Gambia). This movement, which claims that Casamance is a historically distinct region from the rest of Senegal, staged periodic attacks on military posts and governmental offices in Casamance in the 1980s and 1990s.

The popularity Diouf enjoyed in his first years as president began to fade in the mid-1980s, as the economy faltered and many opposition groups protested the ruling Socialist Party’s grip on political power. When Diouf and the Socialist Party won the 1988 presidential and legislative elections by a large majority, the opposition accused the ruling party of electoral fraud and protested by rioting in Dakar. In 1991 Diouf initiated electoral reforms, but the Socialist Party retained control over the electoral commission (which oversees elections and tallies the votes). The presidential term was extended from five to seven years, and a two-term limit was imposed (effective after the next election). Diouf was reelected in 1993, but again the opposition protested, charging electoral fraud. The Socialist Party again won a majority of legislative seats in May 1998 and, in August, voted to abolish the presidential two-term limit. The controversial vote was boycotted by all opposition legislators but one.

In presidential elections held in February and March 2000, the 40-year dominance of the Socialist Party—and Diouf’s 19-year reign—came to a peaceful end. In a runoff election, Diouf was defeated by Abdoulaye Wade, leader of the Parti Démocratique Sénégalais (PDS; Senegalese Democratic Party). A new constitution, approved by public referendum in January 2001, reduced the presidential term to five years and dissolved the Senate, the upper house of the legislature. A PDS-dominated coalition won an overwhelming majority of the seats in the National Assembly in April legislative elections. Wade easily won a second term in the 2007 presidential election.