The potential danger of religious radicalism in Senegal

The briefing examines Senegal's vulnerability to religious radicalism following the crisis in Mali. It challenges the common perception that Sufi brotherhoods provide total immunity against extremism, highlighting risks such as youth unemployment, a dual education system, and the influence of Wahhabite and jihadist Salafism. The authors argue that the Senegalese government has not fully integrated the religious dimension into its security policy and recommends reforms to the educational system and increased regional intelligence cooperation.

• Senegal is vulnerable to Islamic radicalism due to several systemic factors, including a dual education system consisting of official Francophone schools and numerous Arabic or Koranic schools, as well as high levels of youth unemployment.
• The Senegalese government and public often rely on the belief that Sufi brotherhoods—such as the Tijaniyya, Mouride, Layenes, and Qâdiriyya—act as a protective shield against foreign extremist influences, but this 'immunity' is increasingly questioned.
• There is evidence of existing radical networks within Senegal, including the arrest of ten suspected terrorist network members in Dagana in July 2012 and an official acknowledgment by Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye in January 2013 regarding dormant terrorist cells.
• Radicalization is fueled by an ideological and financial onslaught of Wahhabite or jihadist Salafism, which utilizes 'petrodollars' and provides social and educational services that the state fails to deliver.
• The pro-jihadist narrative in Senegal is built upon three primary pillars: pan-Islamic solidarity, hostility toward the Sufi brotherhoods, and a strong anti-Western sentiment, the latter exacerbated by Senegal's alliance with France.
• The authors conclude that the Senegalese government has not fully grasped the religious dimensions of the security threat nor integrated them into its global security policy framework.

APA

Sambe, B., & Ba, D. (2013). The potential danger of religious radicalism in Senegal. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/the-potential-danger-of-religious-radicalism-in-senegal

Chicago

Sambe, Bacary, and Djibril Ba. The potential danger of religious radicalism in Senegal. Institute for Security Studies, 2013. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/the-potential-danger-of-religious-radicalism-in-senegal.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sambe |first1=Bacary |last2=Ba |first2=Djibril |title=The potential danger of religious radicalism in Senegal |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=May 2013 |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/the-potential-danger-of-religious-radicalism-in-senegal |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sambe2013potential, author = {Sambe, Bacary and Ba, Djibril}, title = {{The potential danger of religious radicalism in Senegal}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2013}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/the-potential-danger-of-religious-radicalism-in-senegal}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }