Senegal
Although the political situation in Senegal is relatively stable, a long-standing armed conflict in the south-west of the country (Casamance) with the Mouvement des Forces Démocratiques de la Casamance (MFDC) is still ongoing.1 Because of this situation, as well as the broader instability in the Sahel region, the country faces problems related to ammunition diversion from national stockpiles and illicit arm flows across its borders. Landmines and unexploded ordnance also continue to pose a significant threat in the south of the country.2
The African Union; the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA); the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR); the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC); the Mines Advisory Group (MAG); and the Multinational Small Arms and Ammunition Group (MSAG) have been working on the ground to support the through-life management of ammunition and the prevention of illicit ammunition flows, in collaboration with the Senegalese Ministry of Defence. Efforts have included relocating ammunition to secure depots, training police and military forces on physical security and stockpile management, and developing a database to increase awareness of ongoing and completed interventions in the field of small arms and light weapons control.3
1 "Senegal," Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts Project (RULAC), Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, updated September 30, 2019, https://www.rulac.org/browse/countries/senegal#collapse1accord.
2 “Senegal: Mine Action,” Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor, November 16, 2018, http://www.the-monitor.org/en-gb/reports/2019/senegal/mine-action.aspx.
3 “Ammunition Management Activity Platform (A-MAP),” GICHD, 2022, https://a-map.gichd.org.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the Small Arms Survey began collecting data in 1979, no accidental explosions have been reported in Senegal.
Source: “Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS) Database,” Small Arms Survey, updated December 15, 2021, https://smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems.
Cases of diversion
Several cases of diversion have been reported since 2019 in Senegal.
Table 1. Cases of diversion of arms, ammunition and explosives in Senegal since 2019
| Year | Location | Description |
| 2020 | Moussala | Unknown thieves stole various Famas and HK firearms from a police border control outpost in Moussala. |
| 2019 | Dakar | Between 3,900 and 4,500 cartridges of AK-47 were stolen from the military base of Ouakam in Dakar. |
| 2019 | Pékesse | 750 munitions were stolen from a Senegalese military base. |
Source: “Sénégal: Enquête Ouverte Après La Saisie D'un Énorme Stock De Cartouches D'ak-47,” RFI, November 7, 2019, https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20191107-senegal-enquete-saisie-enorme-stock-cartouches-ak-47; “Alerte Au Sénégal : Après Pire, Nouvelle Saisie De Munitions Volées à Pékesse,” Samarew Infos, November 9, 2019, https://samarew.com/alerte-au-senegal-apres-pire-nouvelle-saisie-de-munitions-volees-a-pekesse/. “Kedougou : Vol D'armes à Moussala, Un Poste De Tous Les Dangers,” Atlanticactu.com, February 10, 2020, https://atlanticactu.com/kedougou-moussala-un-poste-de-tous-les-dangers/.
Disposal
Insufficient information on the disposal of ammunition in Senegal.
Needs
To further enhance safe and secure ammunition management, the following needs have been identified for Senegal:
- Development or refinement of standards and procedures on stockpile management; and
- Capacity development for the destruction of surplus stockpiles.
Source: Senegal, National Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) (New York: Permanent Mission of Senegal to the UN, 2018), https://unoda-poa.s3.amazonaws.com/reports/SEN-French-784-SUBMITTED.pdf.
