Relationship dossier
The Gambia
Senegal
Relationship assessment
Close practical ties and security cooperation, tempered by recurring border and trade tensions
The Gambia toward Senegal
+35The Gambian government cooperated with Senegal during the 2017 political transition, including by requesting Senegalese-led regional forces to help secure the transition after Yahya Jammeh left power. The two governments have also pursued bilateral cooperation through a 2017 treaty and cross-border transport links.
Senegal toward The Gambia
+40Senegal intervened in The Gambia in 2017, at the request of the new Gambian government, to support the political transition after Yahya Jammeh refused to leave office. Senegal and The Gambia also concluded a 2017 bilateral treaty and benefited from the opening of the Senegambia Bridge in 2019.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship combines close geographic and economic interdependence with concrete security and transport cooperation. Senegal’s 2017 intervention in The Gambia and the 2017 bilateral treaty reflect substantial cooperation, while recurring border, trade and security frictions prevent the relationship from being uniformly close.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Gambia and Senegal have substantial practical ties shaped by geography and Senegal’s near-encirclement of The Gambia. Their governments have pursued security and regional cooperation, including a 2017 treaty and Senegal’s intervention in The Gambia during the 2017 political crisis at the request of the new Gambian government. The Senegambia Bridge, opened in 2019, improved cross-border transport. Periodic tensions over borders, trade and security complicate the relationship.
Areas of tension
- Recurring border and trade disputes have disrupted cross-border movement.
- Security concerns related to armed activity near the Senegalese region of Casamance have affected bilateral relations.
Key developments
The Gambia and Senegal concluded a bilateral treaty of friendship and cooperation.
Senegalese-led regional forces intervened in The Gambia after Yahya Jammeh refused to leave office, supporting the transition to the new government.
The Senegambia Bridge opened, improving road transport between northern and southern Senegal across The Gambia.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral security arrangements are unclear.
- The scale and resolution of recurring border and trade disputes are uncertain.