what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

Hey, this is Sham Jaff, your very own news curator from the "Global South". Each week, I highlight some of the biggest stories from regions and countries that are historically underreported in Western media. My goal is to burst our Western-centric bubbles, and expand the view we hold of the world we share with one another. Questions, comments, concerns? You can reach me anytime by replying to this mail. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up at whathappenedlastweek.com.

Today in the newsletter: In Issue #376, I'm paying closer attention to what the newly-elected president of Senegal and his freshly-picked cabinet are planning to do. Because... well, let's pay attention when it's not an easy headline to "sell". Let's get a little acquainted with Senegalese politics.

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What's Senegal's next government like?

What happened
At 44, Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been sworn in as one of Africa’s youngest elected presidents. He chose his political mentor, Ousmane Sonko, as the prime minister and introduced a new cabinet of 25 members, which includes only four women. They started their roles last week, kicking off their plan to make big changes in how the country is run.

Why this matters
The newstelling of this election from a Western perspective is focused on how young Faye is, how "decolonial" this new government is/wants to be, but there's also another reality, that of Senegalese politics. Faye and Sonko won the presidency after a lot of people got frustrated with the old government, which struggled with high unemployment and growing inequality among Senegal’s 18 million residents. They're also taking charge during a tough economic time, which has been made worse by global issues like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tell me more
The new government in Senegal is setting out to make some major changes. Here's what they say they will do:

The new Finance Minister, Abdourahmane Sarr, aims to have more control over the country’s natural resources and to reduce reliance on foreign countries, especially France. He pointed out that the country’s debt is higher than average in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly because previous governments borrowed a lot to build infrastructure. Sarr said that moving forward, Senegal will look to strengthen its own policies and make partnerships that help them be more independent.
Another big item on the new government's agenda is to make the country's central bank more independent. This bank handles the CFA-Franc, the currency for Senegal and seven other countries in West Africa, which is currently tied to the euro. Minister Sarr explained that for Senegal to develop its financial market, they need a more active role in their monetary policy.
Also, the new minister for energy, oil, and mines, Biram Souleye Diop, mentioned that the government might renegotiate contracts in these areas to make sure they serve the public's interest, depending on the findings of a new audit that President Faye ordered right after taking office.

Fun fact: French President Emmanuel Macron congratulates President Faye in Wolof on Twitter. Babacar Ndiaye, a senior fellow at the Timbuktu Institute in Dakar, sees this as part of France’s efforts to improve relationships with its French-speaking partners, especially after facing setbacks in the Sahel region. France, so it seems, is paying close attention to Senegal’s new push for more independence.

Wait. Just four women?!
Yes, and he's getting a lot of heat for it, too. Faye has been criticized not only for having just four women in the cabinet, he's also removed the words "women" and "child protection" from the erstwhile-named Ministry of Women, Family and Child Protection. Some Senegalese civil society groups published a criticism of the share of women ministers, demanding a stronger female presence in government.

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what happened last week - So, what's next, Senegal?

what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

What's Senegal's next government like?

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