On this day in 1960, Senegal declared its independence from the Mali Federation.
Announced at a midnight session, the Republic of Senegal officially withdrew from the Federation of Mali on this date 66 years ago. The Mali Federation was previously a union between the Sudanese Republic and Senegal.
Created in April 1959, the federation was initially controlled by France. Colonies in French West Africa were given the opportunity to vote for immediate independence or join a new French Community. Through the French Community, they would remain connected to France but would have some form of self-government.
By November 1958, Senegal, French Sudan, Upper Volta and Dahomey all voiced their decision to be a part of the French Community, with both French Sudan and Senegal leading the call for the French Community. By the time the Mali Federation was created, only the Sudanese Republic and Senegal remained in the union. Throughout the Mali Federation’s existence, both factions sought to unite political parties and create labor and youth movements for citizens of both colonies.
By the end of the year, both the Sudanese Republic and Senegal, as the Mali Federation, decided to pursue independence from France. Although France initially resisted, through negotiations on June 20, 1960, the Mali Federation gained its own independence.
Just two months later, the Mali Federation would officially be dissolved.
The two colonies struggled with who would hold political power within the Mali Federation. While the planned unified political party, Parti de la Federation Africane, also known as PFA, sought to merge with the Sudan political party, the latter advocated for other allies.
Other issues included a lack of clarity on key problems within the union, including who would have control of the armed forces and what relationship they would maintain with the French government. The relationship between the two countries within the Mali Federation eventually began to fracture because they could not decide who would lead the union. Although the issue was eventually resolved, the issue of electing a president resurfaced once more in August after French Sudan emissaries pushed for a Muslim president rather than a Catholic president like Léopold Sédar Senghor. From Senegal, Senghor was a key member in the formation of the Mali Federation, addressing many issues as it was created.
By August 15, Senegalese leaders, including Senghor, began devising a plan to leave the Mali Federation. With reports that vice premier Mamadou Dia was looking to mobilize military units if needed, and that people in Senegal were also arming up, Premier Modibo Keita dismissed Dia and called on the military.
Senghor and Dia eventually demobilized the military, surrounding Keita’s house and other offices with the gendarmerie and creating a standoff that ended in Senegal’s favor.
By August 20, Senegal successfully gained its own independence from the Mali Federation.
By September, both nations, Senegal and the Republic of Mali, were recognized as being independent and were given a place in the United Nations.
Since then, Senegal has had five sitting presidents, with Senghor serving 20 years in office himself.
The current sitting president is President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Earlier last month, the Senegalese government announced plans to expand the Constitutional Court from seven to nine members as it sought to expand its own powers. The changes enforced stricter rules on the president to prevent changes to the National Assembly, the Senegalese legislature made up of approximately 165 members.
The amendments will reportedly help monitor decisions made during presidential elections by implementing stricter rules against the executive branch and by disallowing a sitting president from serving as the leader of his own political party.
