Senegal signs agreement with UN for new regional headquarters near Dakar
via SeneNews2 min read
Senegal and the United Nations have signed an agreement for the new UN House in Dakar MONUD located in Diamniadio, near Dakar. This signing, which took place on June 12, 2026, marks the culmination of a long-awaited project and signifies a new phase in cooperation between Senegal and the UN. The Ministry of African Integration announced the agreement, highlighting that the personal commitment of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye helped overcome obstacles that had delayed the project for years. The UN House was inaugurated in November 2023 by former Senegalese President Macky Sall, but the relocation had not occurred due to various reasons. MONUD is designed to host all 34 UN entities based in Senegal, serving West and Central Africa, and will accommodate approximately 2,400 employees. The facility, built on a 13-hectare site, features seven floors, 1,800 offices, conference rooms, restaurants, and green spaces. The complex, which began construction in 2019, cost 175 billion CFA francs nearly 267 million euros and was developed by a private Senegalese company linked to the State of Senegal through a lease-purchase system. The new city of Diamniadio, launched in 2015 by President Macky Sall, aims to decongest Dakar and hosts several ministries, a conference center, a university, a 50,000-seat football stadium, an industrial zone, and a high-speed train station connecting the capital to its suburbs. The Senegalese government expressed satisfaction with this major step f
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The Keur Massar Research Brigade arrested a Senegalese national for criminal association and international drug trafficking after seizing 92 kilograms of suspected cocaine. The operation began when intelligence indicated suspicious packages in a vehicle at a mechanical garage. Investigators conducted surveillance, leading to a search of the vehicle and the discovery of 92 one-kilogram packages of what is believed to be cocaine. Documents found in the vehicle led to the identification and arrest of the driver in the Medina district of Dakar. During questioning, the suspect admitted to transporting cocaine from Mali on more than four occasions for another Senegalese national, receiving 150,000 CFA francs per trip. He also stated that his alleged financier is currently detained at the Rebeuss House of Arrest and Correction for similar offenses. A sample of the seized substance was sent to the National Criminal Identification Center CNIC for analysis. A white Volkswagen vehicle was also seized. The investigation is ongoing to identify and apprehend any accomplices involved in this drug trafficking network.