"Necessities" from home and shipping (Dakar)

I'll be moving to Dakar this coming August and was wondering what the community thinks are the "necessities" that should be brought from home. In my case, I am from the US, but have lived in the Dominican Republic for several years. Here many US items are available, albeit more expensive. What is it that I absolutely must bring with me?

Also, has anyone had experience with shipping household items into Dakar? I'm not talking furniture, etc., but more like the miscellaneous household items such as dishes, pots, pans, etc. Would I be better off trying to ship some of these things, or buy on the local market?