REFORM OF SENEGALESE GENDARMERIE INTELLIGENCE SERVICES

Abstract

The National gendarmerie in Senegal, which is a hybrid military and law-enforcement force, is an institution inherited from colonial France. Since Senegal’s independence on April 4, 1960, the gendarmerie’s main role has been to ensure the security of Senegal’s people and their properties. The current security context in the country and abroad—characterized by such complex and multiform threats as terrorism and transnational organized crime—has prompted Senegalese policy makers to increase the gendarmerie’s current role in fighting these types of security dangers. Nevertheless, neither the Gendarmerie nor its intelligence services are properly designed to fulfill this role effectively, due to the lack of adequate structures and too few trained personnel. The gendarmerie also lacks units specialized in intelligence analysis—except for the documentation division. Against the background of these shortcomings, and faced with the persistent security crisis in neighboring Mali, Senegal is seeking to overhaul its intelligence services, so as to respond more effectively to such threats while also preserving the standards of democracy. Based on a review of the relevant literature and a comparison study of reforms in the French National Gendarmerie, this thesis recommends steps to ensure successful reform of the Senegalese gendarmerie intelligence services.