In a circulated speech on Thursday, Senegal’s prime minister Ousmane Sonko touched on several topics, including the euro-backed CFA franc, oil and gas transactions, and LGBTQ rights. He also mentioned the eventuality of closing French military bases in the West African nation.
Sonko, a fiery politician, rose to prominence in March after his hand-picked presidential candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, won a resounding victory. He is well-known for criticising what he sees as French imperialism in its former colony.
At a joint conference with the French left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the capital Dakar, Sonko stated:
“More than 60 years after our independence… we must question the reasons why the French army, for example, still benefits from several military bases in our country and the impact of this presence on our national sovereignty and our strategic autonomy.”
“I reiterate here the desire of Senegal to have its control, which is incompatible with the lasting presence of foreign military bases in Senegal… Many countries have promised defence agreements, but this does not justify the fact that a third of the Dakar region is now occupied by foreign garrisons.” He stated further.
Neighboring Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have driven out French troops and turned to Russia for help against jihadist uprisings on their territory.
They also turned their backs on the West African bloc ECOWAS – which condemned their coups – and formed their confederation of Sahel states.
Sonko also warmly sent words to them,
“We will not let go of our brothers in the Sahel, and we will do everything necessary to strengthen the ties,” he said.
In addition, he urged Western nations to approach social issues like gender equality and LGBTQ rights with “restraint, respect, reciprocity, and tolerance.”
