The National Assembly of Senegal is currently examining draft law no. 20/2025 authorizing the President of the Republic to ratify the Military and Technical Cooperation Agreement between Senegal and Guinea, initialed on June 19, 2021, in Accra, Ghana. This text, presented by the Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, Cheikh Niang, has already undergone in-depth review by an inter-committee bringing together the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

According to the minister, this agreement comes in a worrying sub-regional context, marked by the rise of terrorism, cross-border crime and the weakening of border areas.

The legal instrument aims in particular to strengthen the training of military personnel, the fight against terrorism in all its forms, and the suppression of trafficking and organized crime. It also provides for joint border security, assistance in the development of specialized infrastructure, and increased exchange of military intelligence. Operationally, the agreement provides a framework for the organization of joint patrols, particularly around the strategic border post of Boundou Fourdou.

A stabilization mechanism following the tensions of 2020

The members of parliament recalled that this instrument was introduced following Guinea's unilateral border closure in 2020, a decision that severely impacted economic and social exchanges between the two countries. In this context, the agreement is seen as a mechanism for lasting stabilization aimed at preserving the historical, economic, and human ties between Dakar and Conakry, beyond internal political developments.

Some members of parliament, however, questioned the relevance of a clause allowing for the future addition of new areas of military cooperation. The minister clarified that this is standard practice in international treaties, designed to anticipate unforeseen situations and allow both states to adapt their collaboration by mutual agreement. Concluded for a five-year term, renewable by tacit agreement, the agreement will officially enter into force after mutual notification of the completion of internal ratification procedures by both countries.