Senegal's Supreme Court rejects request for special funds information from Prime Minister Sonko and Finance Minister Diba
via SeneNews7 min read
Senegal's Supreme Court has dismissed a request filed by Ibrahima Hamidou Dème seeking the exact amount of special funds, also known as "political funds," allocated in the state budget for 2025 and 2026. The administrative order, issued on April 16, 2026, by the administrative chamber's interim relief judge, found that several legal conditions were not met to compel the disclosure of information from Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and Finance Minister Cheikh Diba. Dème had initiated the procedure on April 7, 2026, citing the law on access to information, which guarantees citizens the right to obtain information held by public authorities. He argued that the lack of response to his requests, first made on January 6, 2026, violated the fundamental right to information enshrined in international instruments like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. Dème emphasized that budgetary transparency is crucial for good governance and public oversight of resource management, and that administrative authorities are required to respond to requests within fifteen days. However, the Supreme Court ruled the request inadmissible, citing two main reasons: a lack of demonstrated urgency and the failure to engage in a mandatory preliminary procedure. The court stated that Dème did not prove how the absence of the requested information harmed his personal or financial rights, and noted that finance laws are publicly available in the Official
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Must ReadThe issue of political funds, also known as special funds or "black boxes," has re-emerged in public discourse in Senegal. These financial resources are made available to the head of state and, in some countries, to certain high-ranking officials. Similar mechanisms exist in various African, European, and Asian nations, including Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mali, and France. A common criticism of these funds is their lack of transparency and the limited oversight of their use. In Senegal, these funds are primarily allocated to the President of the Republic. While the question of special funds linked to the Prime Minister's office has been raised publicly, no official clarification has been provided. For several years, public opinion has denounced the opaque nature of these resources, with some observers suggesting they could be used to maintain political patronage or consolidate alliances, particularly in African countries where governance is a sensitive issue. In this context, Pastef had promised to abolish these special funds before coming to power, aiming to enhance transparency in public management. The debate is now resurfacing with increased urgency, as some stakeholders recall this promise at a time when the President, who had announced a desire to distance himself from partisan responsibilities, continues to consolidate his political coalition. In a recent interview, the head of state justified the funds' existence by stating they address urgent social need
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