Senegalese Prime Minister, Ousman Sonko (L) in a meeting with Malian military leader, Col. Assimi Goita (R) in Bamako
Senegal’s prime minister, Ousmane Sonko, arrived in Bamako on Monday, August 12, for an official visit to Mali, which had been expected by regional political watchers for some time due to his shared opposition to French hegemony in Africa.
In May, his political party, the Pan-African Pastef, had announced a series of international trips that would include the countries of the AES, and Guinea, aimed at strengthening political ties and promoting the pan-Africanist ideals of his party.
Sonko is known for criticising perceived overreach by France in its former colony. He had also once raised the possibility of closing French military bases in the West African country, supposedly intending to follow in the footstep of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, who had formed the Alliance of Sahel Sates (AES), also called the Confederation of Sahel States.
Sonko had shown his support for the AES in a speech in May when he said “We will not let go of our brothers in the Sahel and we will do everything necessary to strengthen the ties.”
Like the trio, Senegal, which shares the euro-pegged CFA franc currency with seven countries, would like to loosen the control of the currency and allow for some flexibility, Sonko had said in the speech.
The trip is Sonko’s first official visit to a country belonging to the Confederation of Sahel States and it follows his earlier trip to Rwanda to attend President Paul Kagame’s inauguration.
His touching down in the capital Bamako was “part of a friendship and working visit”, Mali’s national broadcaster ORTM said on its Facebook page.
Sonko was welcomed at the airport by Mali’s civilian Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga.
He also went on to hold talks with military chief Colonel Assimi Goita on several key topics, including regional security, opportunities for economic cooperation, during which he reaffirmed Senegal’s firm position that, under the current regime, no actor will pass through Senegal to attempt to destabilise Mali or any other brother country, nor to impose unjust sanctions.
He said this position remains unchanged and will not change, reassuring many that his solidarity with the objectives of the Sahel States remained firm.
Some had questioned the credibility of Sonko’s proclaimed support for the agitations of the Sahel states as several steps by his government, including Senegalese President Diomaye Faye’s increasingly closer ties to France, raised suspicions that Senegal had reneged on its promise of solidarity with the anti-France stance of the AES.
However, supporters of the Faye’s government say it cannot achieve all its goals in just four months in power and must be given time. They say one key step taken by Faye’s government, which shows its commitment, is the removal of sanctions against Mali imposed by the former government under Macky Sall.
During a very informative interview, the Senegalese Prime Minister and Goita addressed all the crucial issues of the moment, in a spirit of fraternity and without protocol.
This meeting made it possible to strengthen cooperation between the two nations and bring their positions closer together in the face of regional and global challenges, sources within the Malian authority said.
Sonko’s trip comes after that of President Faye at the end of May, during which Faye said he wanted to bring Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso back into the ECOWAS fold.
In January, the trio announced that they were leaving the West African bloc, accusing it of being subservient to former colonial ruler France and not doing enough to help them fight militant insurgency – a persistent scourge in the Sahel.
Senegal shares a 500-kilometre (310-mile) border with Mali, and has significant economic and cultural relations with its northern neighbour.
As a result, Dakar has long been preoccupied with the security situation in Mali and the wider Sahel region, fearing its spread to Senegal.
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