What is Senegal doing in Yemen

More than a month into the grand intervention in Yemen, President Macky Sall stated that his country, Senegal, is sending 2 100 men to the “holy land of Saudi Arabia”  as an act of solidarity with Saudi Arabia as Saudi Arabia has a warning of alleged “serious threats” from Yemen. The involvement in Yemen would therefore serve as a response to a Saudi request to help secure the kingdom’s border with Yemen.

Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye told Senegal's parliament that the coalition was "aiming to protect and secure the holy sites of Islam, Medina and Mecca", Reuters reported.

Countries involved in Saudi intervention in Yemen include eight Arab states; Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan and now Senegal.

What does Senegal have to do with this?

Although the country has received aid from Saudi Arabia, the announcement was met with swift criticism from Senegalese citizens.

“Unlike the other African countries that have offered back-up or are involved in Saudi Arabia’s vicious attacks on Yemen, Senegal is not in the Arab League, nor is it an Arab country.” presstv

Petrodollars

"Saudi Arabia is one of the few places in the world you can go to and return with suitcases stuffed with cash." -Political analyst Babacar Justin Ndiay, Senegal.

The South African-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS) think tank said in a recently publication that Senegal’s move to send troops to Saudi Arabia had a strong "mercenary motive" just like similar support and offers of help by Morocco and Sudan to the oil-rich country of Saudi Arabia.

"Did we go into Mali for petrodollars?" Senegal government spokesman Oumar Youm told AFP on Thursday, May 14.

Senegal dismissed the claims but…

Senegal needs Dollars, millions, if not billions of Dollars. Senegal government under Sall is hoping that involvement in Yemen will result in financial gain for the impoverished country. The Emerging Senegal Plan (ESP) is a project proposed by the Senegalese head of state which is intended to reboot the Senegalese economy, the project’s main focuses are to further develop education, agriculture, tourism and infrastructure. The project is estimated to cost USD 61.8 billion by its predicted completion in the year 2035, money Senegal does not have. The Presidents is faced with higher demands for the projects that have yet to take off. Sall is in a tight spot more-so since he’s hoping for a second term.

“The government was aware that it needed to get hold of money that does not stink” said leader of the “Enough is Enough” movement, and Saudi Arabia appears to be the only option.

According to Ndiaye, Western institutions have not shown much enthusiasm about investing in the ESP especially because the financial liquidity in today’s market is simply not that available. The International Monetary Fund which also reported the issue of insufficient investments for Senegal to carry out the ESP urged Dakar to take better control of its in-hand financial resources and broaden its tax base to fund the project. More here.

Four days in, Saudi Arabia has violated ceasefire in Yemen.

“They have been under tremendous negative public opinion regarding this ongoing criminal assault on the people of Yemen. So they have engaged in another one of these sort of phony efforts to pretend to be responsive to the international community by agreeing to this ceasefire but basically it is only a slight pause in the ongoing assault on the Yemeni people.” Ajamu Baraka, a human rights activist in Cali said in an interview conducted by Press TV released Friday 15 May.