On September 30, 2026, Senegal's Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lô addressed the Council of Ministers, outlining key directives on several pressing issues. The Prime Minister's communication primarily focused on two major dossiers: the status of the "Mémorial du Bateau le Joola" and the acceleration of the implementation of projects under the Agenda national de Transformation Sénégal 2050.
The Prime Minister recently participated in a ceremony marking the 24th anniversary of the Joola boat tragedy in Ziguinchor. He noted that the families of the victims and survivors expressed concerns about the memorial's status. To address this, the Prime Minister requested the Minister of Culture, in collaboration with the Minister, Secretary General of the Government, to take necessary steps to formalize the memorial's status and submit a draft decree to the Council of Ministers by November 2026.
The Prime Minister also turned his attention to the Casamance region, instructing relevant ministers to prepare for an inter-ministerial meeting on the Diomaye Plan for Casamance. This meeting is scheduled to take place in Ziguinchor in November 2026. Furthermore, the Prime Minister requested the Ministers of Finance and Infrastructure to allocate the necessary budget for the renovation of the Émile Badiane bridge and the construction of a second bridge.
In addition to these infrastructure projects, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to provide support to vulnerable families of victims and survivors. He tasked the Minister of Family, Social Action, and Solidarity with ensuring their registration in the National Unique Register and their effective inscription on the list of beneficiaries of the National Family Security Bursaries.
The second part of the Prime Minister's communication focused on accelerating the implementation of Senegal 2050 projects. He presented corrective actions to strengthen strategic and operational management of projects and programs. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of aligning ministerial activities with the Senegal 2050 Reference Framework and ensuring that strategic development plans of public organizations and companies are aligned with this framework.
To ensure effective implementation, the Prime Minister recalled the requirements for updating the legislative agenda for the fourth quarter of 2026. He also instructed the Ministers of National Education, Higher Education, and Digital Technology to ensure the implementation of directives from the inter-ministerial meeting on the 2026-2027 school and university year.
The Prime Minister's directives aim to address pressing issues in Senegal, including the status of the Joola memorial, development in the Casamance region, and the implementation of long-term projects under Senegal 2050. The government is expected to take concrete steps to address these concerns in the coming months.
Key points
- The Prime Minister has requested the formalization of the Joola memorial's status by November 2026.
- An inter-ministerial meeting on the Diomaye Plan for Casamance will take place in Ziguinchor in November 2026.
- The government aims to accelerate the implementation of Senegal 2050 projects by aligning ministerial activities with the Senegal 2050 Reference Framework.
