“I regret to tell you that my phone…”

The former Minister of Finance and Budget, Moustapha Bâ, died this Monday in Paris after a short illness. Before his disappearance, he sent a disturbing message to his colleagues, interpreted by some as a final farewell. From the French capital, where he was for treatment, he warned members of the WhatsApp group of the Steering Committee of former President Macky Sall’s White Paper.

In this message, revealed by the newspaper The ObserverBâ declared that his phone had been “cloned” and that he would return to Dakar “under surveillance”. His exact words were: “Dear colleagues, I regret to tell you that my phone is cloned. Please do not message or call me. I am currently in Paris and I am returning to Dakar under surveillance. »

Despite repeated attempts by his former colleagues, with whom he had shared power under Macky Sall, to obtain clarifications, Moustapha Bâ remained evasive. To an insistent minister, he only replied: “It’s really nothing serious. »

Even after starting to use a telephone number reserved for a restricted circle, Bâ maintained a certain mystery around him. According to relatives, however, he sought to reassure his friends about his health, affirming that his blood pressure had stabilized since his departure from the government: “Since I have no longer been in government, my doctor told me that my blood pressure has returned to normal. Now, I’m in great shape.”he would have confided during a conversation within the committee.