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In the context of the creation of the national civic service in Senegal and through the case of a military project organized in the Senegal River valley by chief of staff Jean-Alfred Diallo more specifically, this article examines how the army intervened not to maintain order but rather as a social and economic actor in the development of the country. The role played by the army in the organization of the national civic service in Senegal more broadly underscores the unique relationship between the Senegalese military institution and political authorities.