On Monday 10 November, Senegal marked its National Armed Forces Day. This year’s celebrations placed particular emphasis on the key role the Armed Forces will play in the preparation and delivery of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. On this occasion, an update on the state of the partnership between the Armed Forces and the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (COJOJ) was presented to the President of the Republic of Senegal, His Excellency Bassirou Diomaye Faye, by a COJOJ delegation led by its President, Mr Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye.
In less than a year’s time, Senegal will host the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), becoming the first African nation ever to stage an Olympic event on its own soil. A total of 2,700 athletes under the age of 17, along with their official delegations and support staff, are expected to attend in Dakar.
Given the significant security and logistical challenges associated with such an event, the Senegalese State and the Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (COJOJ) are working in close coordination.
In this context, National Armed Forces Day on Monday 10 November was dedicated to highlighting the partnership between the Senegalese Armed Forces and the Olympic Organising Committee in preparation for the Youth Olympic Games.
A “strategic partnership”
Held under the authority of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the event provided an opportunity to present, in concrete terms, all measures relating to the security of the city of Dakar and the competition venues. It also served to define the main axes of cooperation with the Armed Forces, the National Fire Brigade (Brigade nationale des Sapeurs-Pompiers) and the National Gendarmerie.
During discussions with the Head of State, Abdoulaye Kanouté, Director of Communications for COJOJ Dakar 2026, underlined “the strategic partnership and the unwavering support of the Armed Forces in the organisation of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, dating back to Senegal’s candidacy phase”.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to take place from 31 October to 13 November, will be hosted across three sites: Dakar, Saly and Diamniadio.
