Senegal PM vows to sort out economic problems as 2026 Youth Olympics Games loom

Pastef MPs refused last Friday to vote for the supplementary budget law in the the National Assembly's finance and budgetary control committee.

They say ordinary Senegalese people will bear the burden of Lo's cuts on public spending. They also say there needs to be greater clarity on how multi-million euro loans are being spent. Another debate on the budget will be held on Tuesday in the National Assembly.

"We are not dealing with adversaries," Lo told RFI. "We are talking about the same party. I remain convinced that if everyone is open to dialogue, we will find a solution and ensure that this supplementary budget is finally passed."

His comments come as around 2,500 athletes under 17 prepare to travel to Senegal to join 136 Senegalese teenagers for the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

Between 31 October and 13 November, they will compete in 25 sports ranging from athletics to beach wrestling, rugby sevens and breaking at eight venues in Dakar, the nearby suburb of Diamniadio and the beach town of Saly, 80 kilometres from the capital.

"When you are welcoming the world, you must present an image of unity," said Lo.

"Peace, faster, higher, stronger — these are the ideals we want to offer our young people," added the 60-year-old economist who took over from Ousmane Sonko in May.

"We must not allow this celebration for young people to be overshadowed because the National Assembly either cannot understand or does not want to understand what we have put on the table."

President Bassirou Faye has backed an event that brings a showpiece Olympic competition to Africa for the first time.

When the Youth Olympic flame arrived in Dakar on 12 September, Faye said: "I want those who attend the Games to take away from the experience that Africa's youth is brimming with energy, that they are standing tall and determined, and that they are proud."

Return of Russian athletes

The YOG will mark the return of Russians to Olympic competition under their own flag following a ban.

In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) effectively lifted the Russian Olympic Committee's (ROC) suspension.

According to the ROC, 13 Russian athletes will participate and 10 coaches will accompany them to Senegal.

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During a meeting in Moscow a week ago, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev, who also heads the ROC, told the young athletes: "After your victories – and I'm sure there will be some – the Russian anthem will be played and the Russian flag will be raised."

The Dakar YOG will also welcome a refugee Olympic team, composed primarily of athletes based in Africa.

Milestone

The IOC has called the Dakar YOG an important milestone for the continent and an opportunity to showcase Senegal's cultural richness and Africa's growing role within the Olympics.

However, human rights groups say the government's approach to diversity and inclusivity flouts the principles of the Olympic movement.

In March, Senegal's parliament amended article 319 of the penal code, doubling the maximum penalty for consensual same-sex conduct from five to 10 years in prison. It also criminalised the promotion of, or support for, LGBT people and organisations.

“The Olympic Charter prohibits discrimination on any grounds and commits host countries to respect human rights and human dignity,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report.

“The ongoing government crackdown on LGBT people raises serious concerns about Senegal's compliance with international law, the Olympic Charter and Senegal's own laws,” said Larissa Kojoue, HRW's LGBT rights researcher.

(With newswires)