HomeBureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs – Work by Country...Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs: Senegal Summary

# 									Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs: Senegal Summary							

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) works to keep Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores.

**Challenges:******Though Senegal is a stable democracy, it continues to face governance challenges related to increasing citizen expectations for responsive security and justice, particularly in the face of growing violent extremism in the region. Strong political will and citizen engagement have created a window of opportunity for Senegal to focus on reinforcing good governance, stability, and its role as regional leader.

**Goals:******The United States is helping Senegal establish effective and legitimate police, justice, and corrections institutions to improve governance and promote long-term stability. INL supports Senegal’s criminal justice sector reforms to improve citizen security and increase transparency and accountability. INL law enforcement programming targets efforts to improve road safety and public order management, two security challenges jointly identified by police and community representatives. 

**Accomplishments:**
        - INL’s police efforts have brought together Senegalese communities and law enforcement to  directly  discuss shared security challenges  and build  public  trust .  Since the  establishment of these platforms and activities such as  workshops,  crimes and persistent issues such as child abuse and violence against women are more frequently reported  and addre ssed . 
        - In 2017, INL partnered with Senegal to host the first West-African prison professionalization  exercise and competition. Inspired by their experiences at  an INL-funded  annual  m ock  p rison  r iot  exercise  in West Virginia , Senegal’s Prison Administration took the initiative to host this event  in Senegal , which included    scenario-based training, skills competitions, and regional dialogues with delegates from Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, and Senegal. This event catalyzed regional  prison reform  infor mation  sharing , including the creation of a regional network that  is used to share best practices in managing prisons.  
        - The deployment of a  Department of Justice  Regional Legal Advisor  in Senegal  has  greatly increased  visibility into the needs of justice sector reform, particularly  alternatives to pre-trial detention.  This interaction has led to a variety of activities and a regular dialogue with  senior  justice officials to explore  so lutions . 
        - In  the  f all  of  2019 ,  INL partnered with the Senegale se Gendarmerie to hold  a major conference on  w omen in  l a w  e nforcement . This  conference  greatly expanded dialog  on Senegal’s progress to implement policy objectives to include more women in law enforcement services and  gave new visibility to the women leaders serving with distinction in Senegal ’s law enforcement  ranks . 

Tags

Senegal

Back to Top