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This week, we look at the leading candidates and issues ahead of Sunday’s presidential contest in Senegal. Read on to get up-to-speed in 4 minutes.

Top news Election saga: 19 presidential candidates are on the ballot in Senegal’s presidential election. The winner will replace President Macky Sall, who served two terms. Sall had tried to indefinitely postpone the election – originally scheduled for 25 February – citing concerns about allegations of corruption at the Constitutional Court. His opponents accused him of trying to bypass the constitution’s two-term limit. After week’s of violent protests, the Constitutional Court ruled against Sall and set the election date for 24 March. That’s a notable move in a country where democracy has been backsliding in recent years. Who’s who: Sunday’s election will be the first time in Senegal’s history that the presidential incumbent isn’t on the ballot. Also not on the ballot: popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. He was disqualified from running over a criminal conviction. Sonko has encouraged his supporters to vote for Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who’s leading an opposition coalition. Faye, a 43-year old tax inspector, has something in common with Sonko: he, too, was in detention, facing charges including defamation and contempt of court. Last week, Faye and Sonko were unexpectedly granted amnesty by President Sall and released from jail. Other notable candidates vying for the presidency are three former prime ministers, including Amadou Ba, the ruling party’s prime minister under President Sall until earlier this month. Ba, a former economy and foreign minister, has received President Sall’s endorsement, yet appears to be struggling. Economic woes: Frustration over Senegal’s economy is likely to feature prominently in Sunday’s vote. More than 60% of Senegalese are under the age of 25. 35% of the country’s youth were not in employment, education, or training in 2019. The pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine have made the situation worse. So too has the appreciation of the US dollar. Inflation peaked at 14% in late 2022, and has remained stubbornly high, driving up food prices. Nearly 3 in 4 Senegalese say the government has mishandled the economy. Dangerous migration: An improved economy and more job opportunities would help address migration from West Africa to Europe, which has claimed an unknown number of lives. Migration via the dangerous Atlantic route more than doubled between 2022 and 2023. Nearly 40,000 people – mostly from Senegal and Gambia – reached the Canary Islands last year, as desperate people took incredible risks in pursuit of better lives. Gas boom: As part of its proposals to tackle inequalities and boost employment, the opposition coalition has pledged to renegotiate oil and gas contracts. Several oil and gas discoveries have put Senegal on the cusp of becoming a major natural gas producer. Yet some projects have faced setbacks and delays, despite proceeds from oil and gas exports already being baked into economic forecasts. Translating the country’s natural resource wealth into improved well-being is critically needed: nearly a third of the country’s 17 million people lack access to electricity, and 11 million are without access to clean cooking. BP, which made global profits of US$15.2 billion in 2023, sold its majority stake in a Senegalese gas field in November after the government pushed for the gas to be used domestically rather than be exported. BP’s exit will likely further delay the field’s development. From the ONE Team ONE’s 2024 champions programme in Africa is now open and we’re looking for passionate activists to join us! Climate change is not just a crisis for Africa, it's also an opportunity for the continent to take the lead in the world's transition to green energy. Ideas for how the UK government can think more creatively about development finance. The numbers 2 April: When President Sall’s term ends. If no candidate wins over 50% of Sunday’s vote and a run-off election is required, Amadou Mame Diop, the speaker of the Parliament, will serve as interim president. US14.5 billion: Senegal’s external debt in 2022, more than half its GDP.

Quote of the week "The youth are not working and have nothing. The consequence is that they will die at sea." –Oumy Tall, Senegalese student

What you should read, watch, and listen to: Meet the main candidates in Senegal's presidential election. (Reuters) Africa’s biggest gas finds hit by political turmoil and debt spirals. (Bloomberg) A global hunt for water profit risks draining Senegal’s cities dry. (Bloomberg) World Bank lender to poorest nations seeks record funding haul. (Financial Times)

A look ahead 22 March: World Water Day 24 March: Senegal’s presidential election 24 March: World Tuberculosis Day

The ONE Campaign’s data.one.org provides cutting edge data and analysis on the economic, political, and social changes impacting Africa. Check it out HERE.

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