Franco-Senegalese Relations through the Lens of Development Aid (1895-2012)

As the former colonizer, France has held the majority of power and influence within the Franco-Senegalese relationship. Even today Senegal is still largely dependent on developed nations like France for budgetary, institutional, and political support. Although Senegal won its independence in 1960, up until the last decade it lacked a great deal of agency within the global system as a result of continued French interference, whether solicited through patronage networks or unsolicited through exploitative economic and political policies. Development aid flows from France to Senegal were chosen as the main variable through which to study the solidity of the Franco-Senegalese relationship because France is considered to be a strategic donor globally: a country which gives aid to countries that it believes to be important on the world stage, whether because they act as well positioned French supporters or because they are powers in their own right. This study seeks to support the theory that French development aid is disbursed mainly in response to security concerns to those countries which France believes can strengthen its position in the global system, and that for this reason Senegal should continue its recent trend of diversifying its pool of development aid donors. This logic is based on a neo-realist framework, which emphasizes states' desire to augment their power relative to other nations and neutralize insecurity. In this light, just as France's perception of its own place in the international system changed as a result of the re-ordering of global power in various regions, so too did the scope and character of France's involvement in its colonies, especially Senegal. In order to illustrate this phenomenon, each chapter will explore a discreet period of time during which distinct French strategic goals are observable and draw conclusions about their effects on Franco-Senegalese relations