Senegal has announced plans to compensate the families of those who died during political violence between 2021 and 2024.
The violence, which claimed about 80 lives, erupted from a dispute between then-President Macky Sall and opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Maimouna Dieye, Senegal’s Minister for Family and Solidarity, confirmed the decision in a video published by the Senegalese Press Agency on Saturday.
Each family of the deceased will receive a sum of 10 million CFA francs ($15,800), Dieye said.
In addition to financial compensation, the families will also receive support for children under 18, as well as health coverage and other social assistance.
The unrest, which began in February 2021, severely threatened Senegal’s reputation as a bastion of democratic stability in West Africa.
More than 2,000 people were detained during the political turmoil. As part of the government’s reparations plan, those who were arrested will receive a lump sum of 500,000 CFA francs ($790) each.
The government allocated approximately $8 million for victim compensation in December, although it did not specify the breakdown or the exact number of beneficiaries.
In a further step towards reconciliation, the government has pledged to repeal a controversial law granting amnesty for political violence, passed during the Sall administration.
Sall, who was first elected in 2012 and reelected in 2019, had been considering a third term, sparking protests from opponents who argued it violated the constitution.