Justice : Le Sénégal identifié comme l'une des 10 destinations privilégiées par les fugitifs français
According to a confidential note from the Central Office for the Fight against Organized Crime (OCLCO) dated May 4, 2026, Senegal is in the world's "Top 10" countries where individuals subject to an Interpol red notice issued by the French justice system are hiding.
While the Maghreb and the United Arab Emirates occupy the top spots in the rankings, Senegal is firmly establishing itself as a strategic safe haven in West Africa. With 21 fugitives subject to a red notice, the country of Teranga (hospitality) ranks 9th in this exclusive ranking compiled by the National Fugitive Search Brigade (BNRF).
The presence of these fugitives in Senegal can be explained by several structural factors. Unlike Dubai or Israel, which specialize in financial crime, the profile of individuals wanted in Senegal is more diverse. It includes a significant number of criminals linked to organized crime and drug trafficking, taking advantage of the country's geographical position as a logistical hub for Europe, but also individuals wanted for common law offenses (aggravated robbery, violence, fraud).
The OCLCO report notes that "recent developments in organized crime allow high-level criminals to sometimes operate their illegal activities with impunity outside of France." For French authorities, identifying these targets in Senegal is a matter of national security in order to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
The continued presence of these 21 individuals on Senegalese soil highlights the difficulties of international judicial cooperation. Investigators from the BNRF emphasize a key legal principle: "few states extradite their own nationals, France being a prime example."
In many cases, these fugitives hold dual French-Senegalese nationality. Once on Senegalese soil, they benefit from the protection of their country of origin, as Senegal traditionally does not extradite its own citizens. According to the National Directorate of the Judicial Police (DNPJ), this situation creates a "sense of impunity" that the authorities are now trying to combat by targeting "priority targets."
As a reminder, Senegal is preceded in this ranking by Morocco (218 fugitives), Algeria (124), Israel (87), Tunisia (59) and the United Arab Emirates (48). Next come Turkey (41), the United Kingdom (34) and the United States (20).
Faced with this geographical dispersion, the French police decided to concentrate their technical and diplomatic efforts on a restricted list of high-level criminals in order to identify new levers of action and to extricate France from the "drug trafficking trap".
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