Robert Sagna is a Senegal

Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...

ese politician who served in the government of Senegal from 1978 to 2000 and was Mayor of Ziguinchor

Ziguinchor

Ziguinchor is the capital of the Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the Casamance area of Senegal, lying at the mouth of the Casamance River. It has a population of over 230,000...

 from 1984 to 2009. He has been a deputy in the National Assembly of Senegal

National Assembly of Senegal

The National Assembly of Senegal is the lower house of Senegal's parliament.-The current National Assembly:The current National Assembly, formed following elections held on 29 April 2001, has a total of 150 elected members who serve five-year terms. The electoral system is a mixed member...

 since 2007.

Biography

Sagna was born in Ziguinchor. During the presidencies of Léopold Sédar Senghor

Léopold Sédar Senghor

Léopold Sédar Senghor was a Senegalese poet, politician, and cultural theorist who for two decades served as the first president of Senegal . Senghor was the first African elected as a member of the Académie française. Before independence, he founded the political party called the Senegalese...

 and Abdou Diouf

Abdou Diouf

Abdou Diouf was the second President of Senegal, serving from 1981 to 2000. Diouf is notable both for coming to power by peaceful succession, and leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to Abdoulaye Wade...

, he served in the government as Secretary of State for Human Promotion from 1978 to 1980, Secretary of State for Maritime Fishing from 1980 to 1983, Minister of Equipment from 1983 to 1988, Minister of Tourism from 1987 to 1988, Minister of Information for the Sénégambia Confederation

Sénégambia Confederation

Senegambia, officially the Senegambia Confederation, was a loose confederation between the West African countries of Senegal and its neighbour the Gambia, which is almost completely surrounded by Senegal. The confederation came into existence on 1 February 1982 following an agreement between the...

 from 1988 to 1989, Minister of Communication from 1988 to 1990, Minister of Equipment, Transport and the Sea from 1991 to 1993, and Minister of State for Agriculture from 1993 to 2000. He also became Mayor of Ziguinchor in December 1984. He was a PS candidate in Ziguinchor in the April 2001 parliamentary election

Senegalese parliamentary election, 2001

An election for the National Assembly of Senegal was held on 29 April 2001. The election was held under the new constitution approved by referendum earlier in the year...

, but failed to win a seat.

Sagna, part of a movement within the Socialist Party

Socialist Party of Senegal

The Socialist Party of Senegal is a political party in Senegal. It was the ruling party in Senegal from independence in 1960 until 2000. Ousmane Tanor Dieng has been the First Secretary of the party since 1996...

 called "Democracy and Solidarity", opposed the 2007 presidential candidacy of the party's First Secretary, Ousmane Tanor Dieng

Ousmane Tanor Dieng

Ousmane Tanor Dieng is the First Secretary of the Socialist Party of Senegal. He has been vice-president of the Socialist International since 1996.-Background and early life:...

. Sagna ran for president in the February 2007 election

Senegalese presidential election, 2007

A presidential election was held in Senegal on 25 February 2007. The incumbent president, Abdoulaye Wade, who was first elected in 2000, won the election in the first round with almost 56% of the vote.-Date of the election:...

 as the candidate of the coalition Takku Defaraat Sénégal

Takku Defaraat Sénégal

Takku Defaraat Sénégal is a political alliance in Senegal.At the legislative elections of 3 June 2007, the alliance won 5.04 % of the popular vote and 3 out of 150 seats....

. He took fifth place with 2.58% of the vote, and lost to incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade

Abdoulaye Wade

Abdoulaye Wade is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party and has led the party since it was founded in 1974...

, who won a majority in the first round, in his own home base of Ziguinchor. After the election, Sagna said that Wade had been freely elected and that he would not challenge the results.

He was one of three candidates of Takku Defaraat Sénégal to be elected to the National Assembly in the June 2007 parliamentary election

Senegalese parliamentary election, 2007

Parliamentary elections were held in Senegal on 3 June 2007. They had originally been planned to be held together with the presidential election on 25 February 2007, but were postponed. 14 parties or coalitions participated in the election, in which the composition of the National Assembly, with...

, through national list proportional representation.

Wade's Sopi Coalition

Sopi Coalition

The Sopi Coalition is the governing political alliance in Senegal. The alliance is composed of the Senegalese Democratic Party and smaller parties, and it supports President Abdoulaye Wade, who is also the Secretary-General of the PDS.In the April 2001 parliamentary election, the Sopi Coalition...

 won the March 2009 local election in Ziguinchor. Sagna was accordingly succeeded as Mayor by Abdoulaye Baldé

Abdoulaye Baldé (politician)

Abdoulaye Baldé is a Senegalese politician. He has been Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic since May 2001 and Mayor of Ziguinchor since April 2009. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Senegalese Democratic Party .Baldé was born in Darsalam, located in Ziguinchor Region...

on April 18, 2009. On this occasion, Baldé said that he would propose to the municipal council that Sagna be designated as the Honorary Mayor of Ziguinchor; Sagna described this as a magnanimous gesture and thanked Baldé.

Unusually for Senegal, where a large majority of the population is Muslim, Sagna is a Christian.