The Saint-Louis region celebrated International Customs Day on Monday, January 26, 2026. The official ceremony was held under the chairmanship of Governor Al Hassan Sall, in the presence of administrative authorities, defense and security forces, and customs officers. This year's theme was "Customs that protects society through vigilance and commitment."

Colonel Ahmadou Thioye, regional director of customs for the North, considers this thematic choice to be perfectly consistent with the State's strategic orientations. According to him, Senegalese customs is fully aligned with the Senegal 2050 Vision and the National Transformation Agenda, which place security sovereignty and the protection of the national economy at the heart of public policy.

"Strengthening the mechanisms for preventing and combating threats is essential to guaranteeing public order and social peace," he stressed.

This meeting also served as an opportunity to review the activities of the Northern Regional Customs Directorate (DRDN), which covers the regions of Saint-Louis, Louga, and Matam. The results presented for the 2025 fiscal year were deemed satisfactory, both in terms of revenue collection and the fight against illicit trafficking and the strengthening of economic security.

In total, the DRDN units mobilized 17.35 billion CFA francs in 2025, compared to 14.413 billion CFA francs in 2024. These performances exceed the initial targets set at 14.968 billion CFA francs, representing a surplus of more than 2 billion CFA francs corresponding to an increase of 13.8%.

Compared to the previous year, revenues also recorded an increase of 2.622 billion CFA francs, representing an increase of 18.2%.

In detail, Colonel Ahmadou Thioye specified that these revenues consist of 15.380 billion CFA francs of ordinary revenues and 1.655 billion CFA francs of disputed revenues, reflecting the effectiveness of the control and repression actions carried out on the ground.

Speaking at the event, Governor Al Hassan Sall praised the relevance of this year's theme, which he described as "essential in a context marked by multiple security and economic challenges." He also paid tribute to customs officers, whom he called "true soldiers of the economy," for their crucial contribution to mobilizing public resources and implementing national development and security strategies.