The President of the Republic granted an exceptional pardon to 984 convicts via decrees signed on 21st September, 2026, the Ministry of Justice announced in a statement released yesterday in Dakar. This pardon takes several forms. First, it entailed a full remission of the sentence for 921 convicts falling outside specific categories. It also benefited 21 seriously ill inmates — upon the recommendation of the prisons chief medical officer, as well as 19 minors and one inmate over the age of 65, all of whom received a full remission of their sentences. Additionally, 18 convicts are granted a partial remission of their sentences, while four convicts have their life sentences commuted.
Dakaractu
Gambia detains 18 migrants, including 12 Senegalese
A patrol operation conducted by the Gambia Immigration Department in several coastal communities within the West Coast Region led to the interception of 18 would-be irregular migrants in Tanji. All those detained are men, comprising 12 Senegalese, three Gambians, and three Malian nationals. This intervention is part of ongoing surveillance operations by Gambian authorities to combat irregular migration and associated criminal activities.
Young Mbour fisherman commits suicide
A tragedy occurred on Thursday morning in the Château d’Eau neighborhood of Mbour. A young man named Cheikh Diallo—identified as a fisherman—was found dead. According to information gathered from witnesses by Dakaractu, the young man appeared to have taken his own life. Witness accounts indicated that shortly before the incident, Cheikh told his mother he was going to “leave”. Relatives mentioned personal and family difficulties that had deeply affected the young man.
Army destroys 7 cannabis fields in Casamance
Senegalese military forces destroyed seven cannabis fields spanning over one hectare in northern Sindian, located in the Bignona Department of Casamance, on Thursday. Discovered during routine security sweeps approximately eight kilometres northwest of Sindian, the illicit plantations were dismantled as part of an ongoing military counter-narcotics directive targeting illegal economic activities in southern Senegal. Defence forces also apprehended two individuals during the raid, transferring them directly to the Bignona Gendarmerie Brigade for formal processing and investigation.
APA
Senegal’s industrial output up 10.8% in Q2 2026
Senegalese industrial turnover rose by 10.8% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, driven notably by the performance of the manufacturing and extractive industries, according to the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD). This trend was driven by revenue growth in manufacturing (+13.3%), extractive industries (+7.0%), and electricity, gas, and water activities (+6.5%). Environmental industries also recorded a 1.3% increase. The ANSD notes that the results are based on a response rate of 94.2%. The ICAI, which uses a base of 100 for 2016, measures trends in sales of goods and services within industrial activities.
APA
$300 million for Senegal data centres and cybersecurity
American company Cybastion plans to mobilise approximately US$300 million for digital transformation projects in Senegal, following a meeting on September 14 in Washington between its CEO Thierry Wandji and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The funding is intended to support cybersecurity and combat cybercrime, the development of data centres, technology transfer, and the strengthening of national capacities, according to information released after the meeting. Several Senegalese start-ups are expected to be involved in the implementation of the projects. This announcement extends an agreement made in July 2026 between Cybastion and the Senegalese Ministry responsible for Digital Economy.
Macky’s party haemorrhaging support
Nearly two-and-a-half years after the 2024 defeat, the Alliance for the Republic (APR) is seeing its mayors and senior officials defect one by one to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s camp. The exodus began after the election with former prime minister Amadou Ba distancing himself from the APR, followed notably by Cheikh Oumar Hanne and Zahra Iyane Thiam. More recently, former minister Abdoulaye Seydou Sow formalised his break with the party to launch his own movement, Pacte Républicain (Republican Pact), while in Tambacounda, Mamadou Kassé, chairman of the departmental council, also left the party. President Faye’s appeal to over 300 mayors — most of whom hailed from the former ruling party — accelerated this trend.
Senenews