La Poste Senegal is the public company in charge of postal services in Senegal. La Poste Senegal is a member of the Universal Postal Union.
History
The appearance of the postal system in Senegal coincides with the country's colonial conquest, and it served as a critical tool of colonialism. Before colonization information was exchanged on foot or horseback under the services of kings and local rulers. The transmission of important messages across short distances was done with the help of drums played to a specific beat. This was used to announce events such as weddings, births, baptisms, deaths, enemy attacks, and preparation for a military expedition.
Under colonialism, a quicker method of communication appeared. For rulers, communication with other rulers and with their subjects spread throughout the country became a more and more pressing need. They had in their courts an epistolary service whose task was to carry correspondences.
People speaking Arabic, French, and other African languages were in charge of this system which was starting to resemble a postal service. In Senegal, a full-fledged postal service was in operation by 1626, the year marking the start of postal communication between Senegal and France. In 38 years, the first ships from the merchant associations of Rouen and Dieppe were carrying postal packages between the two countries.
In 1758, these associations were replaced by the French East India Company, then in charge of the postal transport between Europe and African coast. In 1781, Senegal was made a colony of France, increasing communications between the two countries.
In 1850, the postal service was incorporated into a new organization, and in 1851, the postal transport between Gorée and Saint-Louis was transferred to people who crossed the river then the sea by simple pirogues.
The conquest of the colony's interior by Louis Faidherbe began in 1855. Previously the French only controlled trading posts along the coast, so a postal service for official communication became necessary. Plans were put in place to set up telegraph lines throughout the country.
In 1879, the postal service was organized on the French model.
By 1900, the principal centres of the postal service were all linked together and to the capital, and a system of telegraph lines covered almost the entire colony.
Directors-General Since 1962
• Ibrahima Ndiaye DG OPT from December 1962 to January 1973
• Ndaraw Cissé DG OPT from January 1973 to June 1976
• Mahady Diallo DG OPT from June 1976 to November 1978
• Assane Ndiaye DG OPT from November 1978 to November 1983
• El Hadj Malick Sy DG OPT/OPCE from November 1983 to June 1987
• Serigne Ahmadou Camara DG OPCE from June 1987 to December 1993
• Ibrahima Sarr DG OPCE from December 1993 to May 2000
• Iba Joseph Basse DG La Poste from May 2000 to August 2004
• Mamadou Thior DG La Poste from August 2004 to December 2013
• Siré Dia DG La Poste since January 2013
Company Mission
"To stimulate sustainable development of universal postal services of quality, ease, and accessibility to facilitate communication between the residents of this planet by:
- Guaranteeing the free circulation of the post on a single postal territory made up of interconnected networks,
- Encouraging the adoption of common norms that are equitable and favor use of technology,
- Ensuring co-operation and interaction between necessary parties,
- Favoring an efficient technical co-operation; and
- Staying aware of the satisfaction of the evolving needs of clients."
External links
- Official website Archived 2015-01-03 at the Wayback Machine
References