Senegalese parliamentarians have adopted a law to protect whistleblowers, in order to strengthen transparency in the country – a promise made by the government that came to power in April 2024.
Senegal has become the first French-speaking sub-Saharan country to adopt such a law, according to the Platform for the Protection of Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF).
The text, adopted on Tuesday by members of parliament, aims to protect individuals who, in the course of their professional activity, report or disclose information relating to a crime, financial offence or harm to the public interest.
Whistleblowers can report their information anonymously if they wish, through internal channels within government departments or externally to the relevant authorities, the parliamentary report states.
Those who report information that leads to the recovery of illicit funds or assets will receive a reward of 10 percent of the amount recovered, or an amount determined by the relevant authorities.
Senegal calls on US to withdraw sanctions against ICC magistrates
Jimmy Kande, PPLAAF's West Africa director, called it "a historic moment for Senegalese democracy and for the entire continent" – although he said that he regretted the bill's limited scope.
"Whistleblowers seem to be limited to matters of corruption and economic crimes, whereas the scope would usually be much broader, covering environmental, health or human rights issues," he told RFI.
PPLAAF has published a critical analysis of the bill, highlighting key areas for improvement – including broadening the scope of protection, clarifying the notion of “Good Faith”, distinguishing whistleblowers from nominees, protection against retaliation and the creation of a special fund for whistleblowers.
The organisation also wants the new law to distinguish between whistleblowers and "nominees", who are fronts or proxies used by corrupt individuals to hide stolen assets, launder money or evade legal scrutiny.
A corrupt official might place assets in the name of a nominee to disguise their ownership, making them someone acting s a cover for illicit interests rather than exposing them.
France and Senegal look to reset ties as Macron hosts Faye in Paris
However, PPLAAF remains optimistic and hopes the move will inspire other African countries to do the same.
"Adopting a whistleblower protection law is a strong signal," Kande said. "It's there to encourage other countries in the region and other French-speaking countries to adopt laws that protect whistleblowers."
The National Assembly of Senegal also adopted three other laws aimed at strengthening transparency in the country: one on access to information, another on the creation of a body to combat fraud and corruption, and a third that extends asset declarations to magistrates and investigating judges.
(with newswires)
