Senegal and the European Union have reaffirmed their strategic partnership following a high-level visit to Dakar by two European commissioners aimed at strengthening cooperation on security, migration and economic development. Jozef SÃkela, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Magnus Brunner, the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, visited Senegal on March 2–3, where they held talks with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang. The discussions focused on strengthening maritime security in West Africa, combating illegal fishing, managing migration flows and boosting investment through the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, a programme designed to mobilise up to €300 billion in infrastructure investments worldwide by 2027.
During the visit, Commissioner Brunner also met Senegal’s Armed Forces Minister Birame Diop and Interior Minister Mouhamadou Bamba Cissé to expand cooperation against human trafficking, smuggling networks and transnational organised crime. As part of the partnership, the EU delivered 11 new patrol boats and refurbished six additional vessels for Senegal’s National Police and Gendarmerie. The delegation also inaugurated the Maritime Maintenance Centre at the Port of Dakar, which will support surveillance operations and help maintain security assets deployed along Senegal’s coastline.
European officials toured several major infrastructure initiatives, including the Dakar Regional Express Train, a flagship urban mobility project linking Dakar to its suburbs and the international airport. Talks also explored plans to extend the rail network with support from the EU and the French Development Agency to improve regional connectivity. Both sides pledged closer collaboration on irregular migration and readmission agreements while expanding legal mobility pathways. They also committed to safeguarding fisheries resources and promoting job creation for young people through investments in fisheries value chains and coastal economies. The visit signals renewed momentum in Senegal–EU relations as both partners seek to address security and economic challenges while expanding trade, infrastructure development and sustainable resource management.
