Diouf, Abdou

(born Sept. 7, 1935, Louga, Sen.) President of Senegal from 1981 to 2000. In 1960 Diouf joined the civil service and was appointed to a succession of posts, eventually serving as Senegal's prime minister (1970–81). Upon the retirement of President L and in accordance with the constitution, Diouf became president in 1981 and was reelected three times. As president, he oversaw the creation of Senegambia, a loose confederation between The Gambia and Senegal that existed between 1982 and 1989. He served two terms as Organization of African Unity (OAU) chairman, and he was also chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Islamic Conference, and the G-15 nations. Diouf was defeated by Abdoulaye Wade in the 2000 presidential election.

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