Senegal has “decided to suspend” all extraditions to France, Dakar’s justice minister said on Thursday, December 11, accusing Paris of refusing to hand over two Senegalese citizens to the West African country.
Yassine Fall, the Senegalese Justice Minister, announced this decision during a parliamentary address on Thursday.
She mentioned that Dakar has repeatedly sought the extradition of two individuals currently residing in France without success.
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Consequently, the country will not extradite 12 individuals sought by France until it receives a positive response to its own requests from Paris.
“If these individuals have committed crimes, we will detain them. We do not follow France’s approach. We do not allow them to remain at liberty,” Fall stated.
The justice minister did not disclose the names of the two citizens in question, but this decision comes shortly after French courts postponed until February a ruling regarding the potential return of Madiambal Diagne, a Senegalese media tycoon and government critic.
Diagne is the subject of a Senegalese arrest warrant concerning alleged financial misconduct. French courts have asked for more information to decide on the country’s extradition request, which the government claims to have provided.
Diagne’s attorneys argued that Dakar’s decision constitutes “diplomatic blackmail.”
They signed an extradition agreement with France in 2021.
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About Senegal
The Republic of Senegal is located at the westernmost point of West Africa, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It shares its northern border with Mauritania, its eastern border with Mali, its southeastern border with Guinea, and its southwestern border with Guinea-Bissau. The nation is almost completely encircled by The Gambia, which is a narrow country situated along the Gambia River, separating the southern area of Casamance from the rest of the country.
Additionally, it has a maritime boundary with Cape Verde. Dakar serves as the capital and largest city of the country.
As the westernmost nation on the mainland of the Old World, or Afro-Eurasia, Senegal derives its name from the Senegal River that runs along its northern and eastern borders. The climate is predominantly Sahelian, characterized by a rainy season.
The country spans nearly 197,000 square kilometers (76,000 square miles) and is home to a population of approximately 18 million people. The nation operates as a presidential republic and has been recognized since its establishment in 1960 as one of the most stable countries in Africa. According to the 2024 V-Dem Democracy Indices, the country ranks 68th globally in electoral democracy and 10th in Africa.
