Rising oil prices and tight finances prompt Senegal government to restrict senior officials from traveling.

Affected by the rising oil prices due to the conflicts in the Middle East, the government of Senegal in West Africa is facing financial difficulties and has suspended all non-essential official travels abroad by ministers and other senior officials. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, speaking at an event in the coastal town of Mbour on the evening of the 3rd, said that oil prices have reached about $115 per barrel, almost double Senegal's budget forecast of $62 per barrel. "No minister of our government is allowed to leave the country unless it is a necessary task related to current work," Sonko said, adding that he has canceled his planned trips to Niger, Spain, and France. Sonko stated that the government will announce more specific measures in the coming days to alleviate the impact of high oil prices.