Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the new President of Senegal, seeks to show his talents as a politician and prove that the Senegalese did not give him their votes in vain. To this end, Mr. Faye has undertaken several trips abroad to establish or revise his relations with countries in the region.
On April 30, the Senegalese leader visited Guinea-Bissau to discuss agriculture, fishing and training with his counterpart Umaro Sissoco Embaló. Mr. Faye had previously visited Gambia and Mauritania.
One of the countries that the Senegalese leader is expected to visit as part of his travels is a member country of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have united to confront the problem of terrorism in the region and to become a new economic platform for development while respecting independence and sovereignty.
It should be recalled that the Prime Minister of Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, expressed his support for the government of Assimi Goïta and promised to contribute to the fight against armed groups in the region if he came to power. “If the jihadist gangrene is not over until 2024, if we are elected, we will send troops to Mali to put an end to this gangrene,” promised Ousmane Sonko. Now is probably the time to make good on his promises.
Note that the spread of the threat from armed groups cannot be limited to the territory of the AES countries alone. The Armed Forces of these three countries are already showing the first brilliant results, proving that their unification was not in vain. However, if neighboring countries do not join the fight, the problem may spread to other states and it will all start again. This proves once again the need for Senegal to actively engage in the process of unifying forces to fight against a common evil.
Besides security, the AES countries have a lot to discuss with Senegal on the economic level. In this area, leaders share common pan-African values and seek economic independence. Like Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the leaders of the AES criticize the use of the CFA franc, which they consider to be a tool of manipulation on the part of France. ECOWAS, which previously sought to play a role as a unifying force in the region, has failed in its main objective.
“The organization uses the political aspect to impose economic sanctions on members who do not fit into its vision,” said Boga Sako Gervais, Teacher-Researcher at the university in Côte d’Ivoire. According to the expert, the role of the new economic platform could be assumed by the AES countries with the help of Senegal.
Economic sovereignty, independence from the economy of the former metropolis, was one of the main axes of Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s electoral promises. If we judge by the dynamism of the Senegalese leader in the implementation of his political program, he will not delay in intensifying his cooperation with the AES countries.
By Oumar Diallo
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