Senegal has banned non-essential foreign travel by ministers and officials as the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has pushed global oil prices to unprecedented levels, impacting the national budget.
Governments across Africa are taking different measures to address the spike in global energy markets following Iran’s closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Addressing a youth event on Friday, 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,” Reuters quoted him as saying.He said that he had already cancelled trips to Niger, Spain and France.
Sonko also added that these measures are essential for the country given its high debt burden.
The Prime Minister 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.
The war affecting the major oil producing middle east countries continue unabated, with US and Israel pounding Iran relentlessly.
