Senegalese president commends Nigerian govt for peace efforts

The Senegalese President, Macky Sall, on Thursday night, commended the Nigerian government for supporting the ongoing fight against insurgency and terrorism in all areas around the Lake Chad Basin.

Sall stated this at the end of a dinner meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Guinea Bissau President, Umaro Embalo, was also at the meeting.

The Senegalese leader also lauded Nigeria for supporting the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) toward the restoration of peace and constitutional order in Mali.

Sall said: “What I can say on Mali is that I did know that ECOWAS was very involved since the beginning (of the political crisis). Of course Mali is one of our great countries in ECOWAS.

“As you know, Mali is under occupation by terrorists, even Niger Republic, and I want to salute the great action of Nigeria against Boko Haram and how Nigeria is supporting the cost of war even in all the Lake Chad Basin areas.

“Nigeria is also supporting ECOWAS including Mali, Niger and in Burkina Faso where we have a very serious situation.”

He reaffirmed the ECOWAS commitment to the restoration of constitutional order in the landlocked West African country.

He added: “Although, we had a big political crisis in Mali, but hopefully today everything there is better as we continue to give support to the country’s transitional arrangements.

READ ALSO: Buhari hosts Senegal, Guinea Bissau presidents in Abuja

“So we will help and we will continue to support and we hope by the end of December of next year they will come back to the normal constitutional order and they will have elections and they can come back very strongly with the nations of ECOWAS.

“So, what I can say is today everybody is helping Mali, we lifted the sanctions and ECOWAS has shown a big leadership during this crisis.’’

The Senegalese leader also revealed that they had fruitful bilateral talks with President Buhari on security, economic, COVID-19 as well as regional and global issues.

“I’m not here for summit. I came with my young brother, President Embalo, to pay this visit, to discuss with him (President Buhari), of course, about bilateral relations and also about the region, Africa, about the COVID-19 and all problems we are having in this world.

“So, let me thank President Buhari for hosting us on African traditional way and it’s a big honour for me again to tell him; `thank you President Buhari, thank you for hospitality; thank you also for the officials you brought this evening.’’

The Guinea Bissau president also thanked Buhari for his support and the fatherly advice he had been receiving from him before and after his inauguration as president of the former Portuguese colony.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now