DAKAR - The committee, whose first meeting was led by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, will “review these various agreements, re-examine them and work to rebalance them in the national interest,” he announced last week.

Sonko did not provide a timeline for the work of the committee, which comprises around 20 members with expertise in law, tax, and energy.

The main assets likely to be scrutinized are the offshore Sangomar oil field, and the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim liquefied natural gas project, which straddles the Senegal-Mauritania border. It is expected to produce on average 2.3 million tonnes of gas per year.

While in opposition, both Sonko and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye railed against energy deals signed by the government of former president Macky Sall.

Since taking power in April, the new government has undone many decisions made by the former administration. Last July, Dakar broke a €700 million ($778 million) contract signed last March with Saudi company Acwa Power for the construction of a water desalination plant.

It has launched tax audits of various industries, including the media and the mining sector.