Senegalese government explains fuel price increase due to global oil market shifts

Since the conflict's start, international prices for diesel and super fuel have increased by 69% and 61% respectively, leading several countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, India, and China, to raise their pump prices. Senegal states it absorbed the global price increases for as long as possible, maintaining lower prices since December 2025 to protect household purchasing power. This effort amounted to over 245 billion CFA francs in fuel subsidies since the beginning of the year.

The government indicated that without the current adjustment, an additional 47 billion CFA francs would have been needed for the period between August 15 and September 12, 2026. Without correction, energy sector subsidies for 2026 would have reached 1,069 billion CFA francs, significantly exceeding the 250 billion CFA francs initially budgeted by the National Assembly, thereby diverting resources from education, health, agriculture, and support for vulnerable households.