Despite their limited mandates, local authorities in Senegal are being called upon to become key actors in ensuring peace and security across the country.
Presiding over the closing ceremony of a national seminar in Dakar on Wednesday, Interior Minister General Jean Baptiste Tine emphasised the vital role of local governments in security governance. The two-day seminar marked the end of the pilot phase of the Local Authorities, Defense, Security, and Peace Program (PCTDSP), launched in 2021.
“This innovative initiative enables local governments to fully embrace their role as key players in defense and security,” Minister Tine said, acknowledging the support of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Defense and Security (CHEDS) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (FKA).
Bringing together around 50 participants from all 14 regions of Senegal, the seminar reviewed the achievements of the pilot phase, which was deemed promising. “The PCTDSP has allowed us to better understand the crucial role local authorities can play in maintaining peace and security at the grassroots level,” Tine noted.
Amid evolving security threats, the minister stressed the need for shared responsibility in security efforts. “Security must be collective, as we now face more complex threats beyond traditional crime, including terrorism and other persistent, diffuse dangers.”
He highlighted the importance of a participatory approach, noting that “individuals, both as victims and actors, are central to this new security paradigm.”
Although constrained by limited authority and resources, local governments are expected to contribute to key areas such as administrative policing, civil protection, crime prevention, conflict management, and collaboration with the national Defense and Security Forces (FDS).
However, Tine acknowledged several challenges impeding local action, including the lack of direct authority over the FDS, limited human and financial resources, weak coordination, low community involvement, and the absence of regulatory decrees for the creation of municipal police forces.
Despite these hurdles, several local initiatives have emerged as models: neighbourhood committees in Kédougou, religious associations (dahiras) in Touba, community peacekeepers (tomboulma) in Saraya, local security contracts in the northern region, and partnerships with the Civil Forum in Bignona.
“With the PCTDSP, Senegal now has a relevant tool to pursue a holistic, territory-based approach to security,” Tine said, announcing the upcoming rollout of a new national security strategy: the “National Doctrine of Community Policing.”
He concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to updating legal and strategic frameworks to empower local elected officials as the “first link in the security chain.”
“Security is you, is me, is all of us. Together, we must co-produce the safety of our territories,” the minister declared.
ODL/te/lb/as/APA