Senegal Celebrates 50th Independence Anniversary

Japan Africa Network joins all Senegalese, friends and all Africans in diaspora to celebrate Senegal’s 50th Independence day. Congratulations!! On this historic independence anniversary; you are our African Country of the Month of April 2010.
Senegal’s 50 years of nationhood began with the signing of a power transfer agreement with France on 4 April 1960 for an independent "Mali Federation" - a merger of Senegal and French Sudan(present day Republic of Mali). This colonial merger soon broke-up in August same year after independence giving birth to present day Senegal and the Republic of Mali.

On 6 September 1960, Leopold Sédar Senghor; a poet, philosopher, the first African member of the Académie Francaise and one of the most important African intellectuals of the 20th century was proclaimed President of Senegal. He governed till 31 December 1980 when he voluntarilly handedover power to his successor Abdou Diouf, who later in 2000 transferred power to the current President; Abdoulaye Wade. Senegal has been widely recognised as one of Africa’s stable democracies and a model with a multi-party system and having twice transferred power from one civilian government to another and has also transferred power between two political parties. In Senegal, political activities and participation are known to be very robust and leadership, peaceful.
Though Senegal remains a donor-receiver nation, the economic reform carried out by the government puts it among the fastest growing economies in the world. Major sources of income includes agriculture, tourism and homeward remittances from Senegalese living abroad. Senegal’s major tourist destinations includes Goreé - a small island off the coast of Dakar, where western powers warehoused slaves(men, women and children) in very small cells before being shipped through "The Door of no Return" to the "New World". There are six national Parks with Niokolo Koba being the biggest and Djouj - one of the world’s most important wetland bird sanctuaries. Other tourist destinations are the exotic Saly Portudal and Saloum Delta Island, Saint Louis - the old capital built in 1659 and the Pink Lake - completely pink naturallake with a thick crust of salt at the bottom.
Congratulation Messages