Senegal - West Africa - page 760

The early 1980s saw the start of an ongoing separatist rebellion in the southern region
of Casamance. Seven years later a minor incident on the Mauritanian border led to riots
and deportations in both countries, as well as a three-year suspension of diplomatic rela-
tions and hundreds of casualties. Tensions mounted in other parts of the country as a result
of austerity measures.
The arrest of opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade in February 1994 only increased his
huge popularity. In March 2000, Wade won in a free and fair presidential election, thanks
to his hope-giving sopi (change) campaign. Diouf peacefully relinquished power. The fol-
lowing year, a new constitution was approved, allowing the formation of opposition
parties and consolidating the prime minister's role.
In 2002 the country was shaken by a huge tragedy when the MS Joola, the ferry con-
necting Dakar and the Casamance capital, Ziguinchor, capsized due to dangerous over-
loading , leaving almost 2000 people dead.
In 2009 Wade declared in a very early announcement that he intended to stand as can-
didate at the 2012 elections. There wasn't much cheering; after promising initial meas-
ures, Wade's government has not been able to lead the country out of crisis. The steadily
rising cost of living, increasing power cuts and widening gap between rich and poor pro-
voke anger and despair among the population. The images of young Senegalese emigrants
crossing to the Canary Islands in tiny boats have been beamed around the world. In 2009,
2011 and 2012, conflicts flared up again in Casamance, which had been calm since the
peace deal in 2004.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Culture
'A man with a mouth is never lost' goes a popular Wolof saying, and indeed, conversation
is the key to local culture, and the key to conversation is a great sense of humour. The
Senegalese love talking and teasing, and the better you slide into the conversational game,
the easier you'll get around.
Personal life stories in Senegal tend to be brewed from a mix of traditional values,
global influences, Muslim faith and family integration. More than 90% of the population
is Muslim, and many of them belong to one of the Sufi brotherhoods that dominate reli-
gious life in Senegal. The most important brotherhood is that of the Mourides, founded by
Cheikh Amadou Bamba. The marabouts who lead these brotherhoods play a central role
in social life and wield enormous political and economic power (possibly the power to
make or break the country's leaders).