List of Famous people born in Senegal
Didier Raoult
Didier Raoult is a French physician and microbiologist specialising in infectious diseases. In 1984, Raoult created the Rickettsia Unit at Aix-Marseille University (AMU). He also teaches infectious diseases in the Faculty of Medicine of Aix-Marseille University. Since 2008, Raoult has been the director of the Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes. He gained significant worldwide attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for promoting hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the disease, despite evidence that it does not work.
Ismaïla Sarr
Ismaïla Sarr is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Championship club Watford and the Senegal national team.
MC Solaar
Claude M'Barali, professionally known as MC Solaar, is a French rapper of Senegalese and Chadian origin. He is one of France's most famous and influential hip hop artists. Some consider him as the best French rapper of all time.
Ségolène Royal
Ségolène Royal is a French politician and former Socialist Party candidate for President of the French Republic.
Papis Loveday
Papis Loveday is a Senegalese model and fashion entrepreneur. He gained fame through a United Colors of Benetton worldwide campaign in 2003. In 2011 he founded the brand Papis Loveday, which includes a fragrance line, champagne brand and denim and jeans collection.
Aïssa Maïga
Aïssa Maïga is a Senegal-born French actress, director, writer, producer, and activist. Maïga has worked with major auteurs like Michael Haneke, Abderrahmane Sissako and Michel Gondry, and recently starred in Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut.
Sibeth Ndiaye
Sibeth Ndiaye is a French-Senegalese communications advisor who served as Government Spokeswoman under Prime Minister Édouard Philippe from 1 April 2019 to 6 July 2020.
Aliou Cissé
Aliou Cissé is a Senegalese football coach and former player. Having begun his career in France, he later played for English clubs Birmingham City and Portsmouth. Cissé was a defensive midfielder who also, on occasion, played at centre back.
Lamine Diack
Lamine Diack is a Senegalese businessman, sports administrator, and former athlete. He was president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) from 1999 to 2015. He is the subject of numerous investigations into corruption during his tenure as president. He was also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1999 to 2013, then an honorary member from 2014 to 2015, and the chairman of the National Water Company "Société Nationale des Eaux" of Senegal (SONES) from 1995 to 2001. He has been under house arrest from November 2015, and his trial in France started in June 2020. On 16 September 2020 Diack, his son Papa Massata Diack, the head of the IAAF anti-doping department Gabriel Dolle and other persons were given prison sentences for their part in a coverup of doping in Russia.
Souleyman Sané
Souleymane "Samy" Jean Sané is a Senegalese former footballer who played as a striker. He is the father of Germany forward Leroy Sané.