Egyptian-Senegalese Relations
Translated by: Mohamed Saeed
Reviewed by: Nouran Salah
Egypt's bilateral relations with Senegal
Political relations:
Egypt was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Senegal immediately following its independence on April 4, 1960. This was due to the strong ties between Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Senegalese President Léopold Sédar Senghor. The Arab Republic of Egypt the second country to recognize the independence of the Republic of Senegal after France.
As a continuation of the deep-rooted relations between the two countries, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has affirmed Egypt's openness to its African brothers, led by Senegal, and its aspiration to develop cooperation with it at all levels. Relations between the two countries are witnessing steady growth at all levels and a consensus of visions towards international issues. They also cooperate in international and regional forums, particularly the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the African Union, the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, and the NEPAD Initiative for Development in Africa.
Egypt annually participates in the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, launched by Senegalese President Macky Sall in 2014. The Egyptian participation comes within the framework of supporting the mechanisms of joint African action to address the various challenges facing the African continent. The forum explores ways to combat the phenomenon of terrorism in Africa, the possibilities of developing effective strategies to confront this phenomenon and establish peace on the continent, and the exchange of views between various regional and international parties concerned with peace and security issues in Africa. Egypt also participated in the 15th Summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie, held in the Senegalese capital Dakar in November 2014.
Exchange visits between Egypt and Senegal:
In January 2023, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received a phone call from his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall, to discuss preparations for the annual African summit scheduled for February 2023. Sisi congratulated President Sall on his successful presidency of the African Union during a year full of international and regional challenges and their impact on Africa. For his part, Sall expressed his appreciation for the Egyptian support during his presidency, stressing the Egyptian efforts to promote common African interests and find solutions to the challenges facing the continent. They also discussed the most prominent files and issues of common interest.
In February 2022, Sisi met with Sall on the sidelines of the European-African Summit, where they discussed strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
On January 29, 2022, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Senegalese President Macky Sall discussed bilateral relations, counterterrorism and extremism, and efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Sisi also expressed his full support for Sall on the occasion of his upcoming presidency of the African Union, stressing his confidence in his wise leadership in facing the challenges facing the continent, including the COVID-19 pandemic, extremism and terrorism, and the need to strengthen economic and trade integration. He also praised the ongoing cooperation between the two countries in various fields, stressing the importance of developing bilateral cooperation projects and strengthening trade and investment.
For his part, Sall stressed Senegal's appreciation for distinguished relations with Egypt, expressing his keenness to develop these relations, especially in the commercial and economic fields, and praised the activity of Egyptian companies in his country. He also expressed his hope to increase Egyptian investments and benefit from Egyptian expertise in supporting joint African action. The two presidents also stressed the need to intensify cooperation and coordination in facing regional challenges, especially the issue of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, agreeing on the importance of coordination and joint consultation to follow up on developments.
During their meeting in Paris on May 19, 2021, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Senegalese President Macky Sall affirmed the strong relations between Egypt and Senegal and expressed their readiness to deepen bilateral cooperation trade, investment, infrastructure development, and capacity building. This meeting came on the heels of el-Sisi's visit to Dakar in April 2019, which further strengthened bilateral relations. For his part, Sall praised Egypt's role in achieving development and security in Africa. The two presidents also discussed continental developments, including African relations with the world, and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam issue, where el-Sisi stressed the importance of reaching a legal agreement on the dam, and agreed to continue bilateral coordination to resolve this issue.
On December 12, 2019, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall on the sidelines of the Aswan Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development. El-Sisi praised the strong relations with Senegal, noting Egypt's readiness to expand bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, and infrastructure development, in continuation of his successful visits to Dakar in April 2019. praised the continuous development of relations between the two countries and expressed his appreciation for Egypt and its leadership, emphasizing the importance of his participation in the Aswan Forum to support Egypt's role in achieving development and peace in Africa. The meeting also addressed cooperation in combating terrorism and extremist ideology, and Egypt's aspiration to enhance cooperation with Senegal in spreading moderate Islamic thought, in addition to strengthening the role of the Al-Azhar mission in Senegal. The two presidents also discussed continental developments, agreeing to continue consultation and coordination on developments in the region, especially those related to West Africa.
On August 25, 2019, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, the presidents of Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Burkina Faso, as well as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The aim of the meeting was to coordinate and consult to unify African messages during the summit, emphasize a partnership based on equality with international partners, and highlight the continent's development priorities. The participating presidents expressed their appreciation for the Egyptian initiative to coordinate African positions, stressing the importance of continental integration and freeing intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
On June 18, 2019, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi participated in a mini-African coordination summit in Osaka, with the participation of the Presidents of South Africa and Senegal. The objective was to unify the positions of African countries to promote their interests in the G20 meetings, benefiting from South Africa's membership in the group, the role of Senegal in the NEPAD committee, and Egypt's presidency of the African Union.
On April 12, 2019, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited Senegal, where he was received by President Macky Sall. During the visit, the two sides stressed the depth of the historical relations and the importance of developing cooperation in various fields, especially and commercial ones, and benefiting from in the development of infrastructure and other areas in support of the Senegalese development plan. President El-Sisi expressed his pleasure with the visit and reiterated his congratulations to Sall on his election for a second presidential term, emphasizing the fraternal relations between the two countries in politics, culture, and religion, and the convergence of positions regionally and internationally. The meeting also touched on cooperation in combating terrorism and promoting moderate Islamic thought, stressing the importance of the Egyptian-Senegalese joint committee to enhance and develop relations. President el-Sisi invited his Senegalese counterpart to visit Egypt.
The relations between Egypt and Senegal have witnessed several initiatives to strengthen them over the past years. In May 2023, the Egyptian ambassador in Dakar participated in a seminar on the free trade area on Africa Day, followed by participation in a meeting by the Senegalese Foreign Minister to review Senegal's achievements during its presidency of the African Union. In December 2022, a meeting between the coordination of Egyptian political parties' youth and the Senegalese ambassador in Cairo emphasized the importance of bilateral relations, referring to their depth and their aspiration to strengthen them in the future. In November 2021, Dakar hosted a round of political consultations that addressed ways to strengthen relations, especially in the fields of investment, trade exchange, and counter-terrorism, with an emphasis on coordination on continental and international peace and security issues.
In February 2020, General Mohamed Zaki, the Egyptian Minister of Defense, met with the Senegalese Minister of the Armed Forces, Sidiki Kaba, where they expressed the two countries' keenness to enhance military and security cooperation to serve their mutual interests. In November 2017, the Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister participated in the Dakar Forum for Peace and Security, and in October of the same year, the Senegalese President's Advisor for Religious Affairs visited Egypt to discuss enhancing cooperation and inviting Egypt to participate in the forum. In September 2017, the Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister a message from President El-Sisi to the Senegalese President regarding strengthening bilateral relations and Senegal's support for Egypt's candidate for the UNESCO Director-General position.
In March 2014, Mansour Ndiaye, the Special Envoy of the Senegalese President, visited Egypt where he was received by the former Egyptian President Adly Mansour and handed him an invitation to attend the Francophone Summit in Senegal. Ndiaye conveyed a message of appreciation and solidarity from the Senegalese President to Egypt, commending Egypt's historic support and the role of Al-Azhar in spreading education and Islam in Senegal, as well as expressing condolences for the victims of terrorism in Egypt and his country's support for Egypt's return to the African Union.
In November 2013, the Egyptian Foreign Minister visited Senegal, where he discussed bilateral relations regional and international issues of common interest with his Senegalese counterpart.
In 2012, the Senegalese President Macky Sall attended the Organization of Islamic Cooperation conference in Egypt. In May 2011, the Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister visited Senegal.
In November 2008, the former Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources participated in the African Conference on Combating Coastal Erosion in Senegal. In March 2008, the former Egyptian Foreign Minister attended the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit in Senegal.
In October 2005, the Senegalese Minister for Senegalese Abroad visited Egypt, reflecting the continued exchange and cooperation between the two countries in various fields and at different levels.
Cooperation in the field of tourism and antiquities:
Egypt and Senegal have agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of culture and heritage. Egypt will contribute to the restoration of Senegalese cultural heritage and Islamic manuscripts, and will donate replicas of traditional Egyptian artifacts for display at the Museum of African Civilizations. On December 2, 2022, the Senegalese ambassador in Cairo praised the remarkable development of medical tourism in Egypt, highlighting the importance of this sector in attracting tourists and providing exceptional medical services due to the qualified medical personnel and the warm weather. He also called for expanding the scope of medical tourism by strengthening international partnerships and organizing visits to exchange expertise. On July 12, 2016, Senegal's Minister of Tourism and Air Transport visited Egypt to discuss ways to enhance tourism cooperation between the two countries.
Power and energy:
On February 3, 2023, Dr. Mohamed Shaker, Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, met with Aissatou Sophie Gladima, Senegal's Minister of Energy, on the sidelines of the second African Union Summit in Dakar, to discuss avenues for future cooperation and private sector participation in this field. Shaker highlighted Egypt's efforts to overcome challenges in the electricity sector and the political leadership's role in supporting this vital sector, emphasizing the keen interest in cooperating with African countries and the readiness to provide support and transfer expertise to Senegal.
During the summit, Dr. Shaker also participated in a session on financing solutions to accelerate energy access in Africa. He spoke about Egypt's success in expanding its electricity capacity from 20 gigawatts to 60 gigawatts in nine years, and its focus on transitioning to clean energy by adding 28 gigawatts of renewable energy to the grid. He further mentioned that Egypt had signed three memoranda of understanding for wind power projects to add an additional 28 gigawatts at competitive prices, which would help achieve the goal of increasing the share of renewable energy to 42% by 2030.
Cooperation in transport areas:
On December 23, 2023 H.E. Khaled Arif, Egyptian Ambassador to Dakar, participated in the inauguration ceremony of Air Cairo's first flight from Dakar to Cairo, which took off on December 23rd at 2:00 PM Dakar time. This new route reflects Egypt's commitment to enhancing air connectivity with African countries and expanding its network of direct flights to new destinations, positioning it as a hub for connecting the world. Mr. Hussein Sherif, Chairman of Air Cairo, was on board the inaugural flight to Dakar, the Senegalese capital, and participated in the ceremony to launch the new air route between the two countries. The event was also attended by Mr. Omar Dia, representing the Minister of Aviation and Air Transport, Mr. Mansour Sy, Executive Director of the Senegalese Civil Aviation Authority (ANACIM), Mr. Omar Balde, Governor of Thies City, representatives of tourism companies in Senegal, and members of the Egyptian community and the Al-Azhar mission.
Communications and Information Technology:
Egyptian Ambassador to Senegal Khaled Aref affirmed the importance of the efforts made by Egyptian companies working in the field of information technology and digital services to open new markets for them abroad, especially in the African continent. In a comment on Egypt's participation in the annual Dakar exhibition for e-learning, he pointed out that the efforts of these companies are consistent with the state's directions to strengthen trade and economic cooperation with African countries. This aligns with the (GO TO Africa) initiative, launched by the Egyptian Information Technology and Telecommunications Industry Chamber in June 2022. He said that Egypt's participation in this exhibition is a good opportunity to learn about the latest trends in the field of e-learning, and to enhance partnership and cooperation with many global bodies and companies from more than 20 participating foreign countries.
Senegal, with its advanced education, stands out as a key partner for Egypt in the field of education, especially with the central role of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in deepening relations between the two countries. The religious mission from Al-Azhar to Senegal includes 37 scholars, with plans to increase this number to 40, in order to confront other religious trends and spread moderate Islam. Senegal comes second after Sudan in the number of students studying at Al-Azhar, with about 600 Senegalese students studying there, and about 30% of them receive scholarships.
Alexandria hosts "Senghor University", an international educational and cultural body concerned with African development. It was established in 1989 and reflects a great political and cultural value, derived from the dream of former Senegalese President Léopold Senghor to establish a leading African educational institution that contributes to the development and modernization of the continent.
Egypt in the annual Dakar e-education exhibition on May 29, 2023, with the support of the ministries of education and digital economy. Representatives of 12 Egyptian companies in the field of information technology are also participating. The goal is to explore opportunities for cooperation and support Egyptian exports to Senegal and the Gambia, which will strengthen cooperation and partnership in the field of e-education.
On January 19, 2022, Dr. Shawky Allam, Grand Mufti of Egypt and President of the Dar Al-Ifta, received Dr. Abu Bakr Saar, Ambassador of Senegal to Cairo, to discuss ways to enhance religious cooperation between Egypt and Senegal. The Grand Mufti affirmed Dar Al-Ifta's readiness to provide scientific and religious support to Muslims in Senegal, particularly in training imams to combat extremist ideology. The Senegalese ambassador praised Dar Al-Ifta's efforts in combating extremism and terrorism and expressed his country's desire to benefit from its expertise, especially in training imams.
On October 12, 2021, the Supreme Council of Culture in Egypt, in cooperation with the Foreign Cultural Relations Sector, organized an evening titled "Egypt/Senegal.. Cultural Relations" as part of an initiative to strengthen cultural relations organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.
Egypt participated in the eleventh session of the Permanent Committee on Information and Cultural Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on May 13, 2018 in Dakar. The session was held under the slogan of supporting peace and development through education and culture. This was based on a resolution from the Third Islamic Summit Conference in 1981 in Mecca. The aim was to strengthen the role of media and culture in the Islamic world and publicize its major issues.
In November 2017, the President of Ain Shams University received Sheikh Jan Gui, cultural adviser at the Embassy of Senegal, to discuss strengthening cooperation between Egypt and Senegal in the fields of student exchange and scientific research.
Egypt's Minister of Education, Dr. Tariq Shawki, visited Senegal on 16 March 2017 to participate in a conference organized by the Foundation for the Development of Education in Africa.
On 14 December 2016, the Egyptian President received the Senegalese Minister of Education, who conveyed a letter from the President of Senegal expressing his country's desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Egypt in various fields.
In April 2005, the former Egyptian Minister of Endowments visited Senegal, emphasizing the continuation and strengthening of relations between the two countries.
English Lanuage Coordinator: Asmaa Ahmed
