On Tuesday, May 20, the Centre for Advanced Studies in Defense and Security (CHEDS), in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), launched a two-day national seminar in Dakar focused on the role of local governments in security governance.
The event, which gathers around 50 participants from the country’s 14 regions, marks the culmination of the pilot phase of the Territorial Communities, Defense, Security and Peace Program (PCTDSP), initiated in 2021.
The seminar aims to consolidate lessons from regional consultations conducted over the past three years across Senegal’s five major zones (West, North, East, South, and Center), share best practices, and map out the next steps for the program.
“This seminar will undoubtedly mark a decisive turning point in recognizing the role of local governments in security provision,” said General Jean Diémé, Director General of CHEDS, in his opening remarks.
He emphasised that the drivers of insecurity in Senegal reflect complex and varied regional realities, requiring inclusive, holistic, and coordinated responses. “When it comes to security, no effort is too much,” Diémé stressed.
He noted that the regional consultations helped establish a dialogue between defense and security forces (FDS), local authorities, and communities, thus enhancing local ownership of security challenges.
A diversity of threats
Dr. Ousmane Niang, a sociologist at Cheikh Anta Diop University and program rapporteur, highlighted the broad spectrum of threats identified during the seminars.
“Our African countries face profound socio-economic inequalities, unemployment, porous borders, low public cooperation, and emerging threats like the proliferation of Jakarta motorcycles,” said the researcher from the School of Applied Economics (ESEA).
He also pointed to unclear mandates between security forces and local governments, calling for stronger local capacities. “Local governments are key actors in social peace but lack the human, material, and financial resources to fully play their part,” Niang noted.
Addressing the situation in the eastern region bordering Mali and Mauritania, General Diémé acknowledged specific security concerns. “There is a palpable fear linked to the presence of terrorism in Mali. We were also alerted to the harmful effects of illegal gold mining, particularly the use of chemicals impacting agriculture, fishing, and daily life,” he said.
These concerns echo a controversial April 2025 report from the Timbuktu Institute, which warned of attempted infiltrations into Senegal by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), active in the Sahel.
However, General Diémé reassured that the issue of violent extremism is being addressed “at the highest level” of the state.
A new security architecture
Caroline Hauptmann, KAS Resident Representative for Senegal and The Gambia, emphasized the emergence of a new vision of security governance. “The state no longer holds a monopoly on security. Local governments are now pillars of this architecture,” she stated.
Hauptmann praised the “mutually trusting” partnership between her organisation and CHEDS, established in 2018, and reaffirmed KAS’s commitment to fostering dialogue grounded in peace, solidarity, and decentralisation.
The seminar highlighted key recommendations from regional workshops, including the strengthening of local governments’ human, material, and financial capacities, integrating security into local development plans, and ensuring active community participation in prevention and early warning systems.
Dr. Niang concluded that “security is a social construct based on multiple dynamics,” and its consolidation depends on empowering all local actors.
The seminar, which will conclude on Wednesday, May 21, is expected to contribute to the final report of the PCTDSP and shape the outlook for a new phase focused on the “co-production of territorial security”, in line with CHEDS and its partners’ strategic vision.
ODL/ac/sf/lb/as/APA