Senegal’s government has suspended all non-essential foreign travel by ministers and top officials, warning of “extremely difficult” times ahead as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran drives global oil prices higher, straining the nation’s budget, reports Reuters.

Addressing a youth event in the coastal town of Mbour, Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko pointed to oil trading at about $115 a barrel, nearly twice the $62 per barrel assumed in Senegal’s budget projections.

“No minister in my government will leave the country unless it is for an essential mission related to the work we are currently undertaking,” he said, announcing that he had already cancelled his own planned trips to Niger, Spain and France.

Governments across the West African region and globally have scrambled to respond to the crisis with measures including fuel price increases, subsidies, and remote work.

He said additional measures would be announced next week, with the Energy and Mines Minister expected to address the nation in the coming days to detail efforts to mitigate the impact of the price shock.

Opinion

Trouble at home

Trouble at home

The country’s strength lies in its political and economic stability, not in fleeting moments of diplomatic success.

Editorial

Pezeshkian’s visit
Updated 24 Jun, 2026

Pezeshkian’s visit

Perhaps a good place to start would be the resumption of work on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.
Telecom bill
24 Jun, 2026

Telecom bill

THERE is now no question about it: the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) (Amendment) Bill of 2026 is a...
Updating Islamabad
24 Jun, 2026

Updating Islamabad

ISLAMABAD is growing rapidly. Its planning, however, remains stuck in bureaucratic limbo. Despite years of ...
Unsustainable growth
Updated 23 Jun, 2026

Unsustainable growth

CLICHÉS are an essential part of political rhetoric. But when repeated often, they lose their impact. So when...
Banned speeches
23 Jun, 2026

Banned speeches

NATIONAL Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday formally lifted long-standing restrictions on the airing of ...
New GB government
23 Jun, 2026

New GB government

WITH the newly elected lawmakers of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly taking oath on Monday, the PPP looks set to head...