President of Senegal: The presence of French military bases comes into conflict with new sovereignty


Senegalese President Basserou Diomaye Faye considered that the presence of French military bases in his country was contrary to national sovereignty.

Faye said in an interview with Agence France-Presse on Thursday that “Senegal is an independent state, and sovereignty is not compatible with the presence of (foreign) military bases in a sovereign state.”

Sixty-four years after Senegal’s independence from France, Fay stressed that the French authorities must think about establishing “a partnership devoid of this military presence, but it is a rich partnership, a fruitful partnership , a distinctive and global partnership like the one that links us with many other countries.

Fay, who took office in April after winning the elections, waving the flag of sovereignty and ending foreign dependence, stressed that the rejection of a French military presence in his country did not mean a “break” between Dakar and Paris.

He said: “A military presence or lack of a military presence should not mean a rupture. »

He explained that his country maintains close relations with several countries such as China, Turkey, the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and “all these countries do not have any military base in Senegal.”

He added: “China is today our largest trading partner in terms of volume of investments and trade. Does China have a military presence in Senegal? No. Are we talking about a break ?”

On the other hand, the Senegalese president confirmed having received from his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, a letter in which Paris recognized its responsibility in a “massacre” committed by its colonial forces in Thiarore, near Dakar, on December 1, 1944.

He said: “Today (Thursday) I received a letter from President Emmanuel Macron recognizing that it was a massacre, very clearly, without any ambiguity in the terminology.”

Faye welcomed this recognition, considering it a “big step” on the part of Macron.

According to the Senegalese president, Macron “apologized” in his letter for not being able, due to his busy schedule, to participate in a ceremony to be held on Sunday in Thiarore to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the victims of this massacre.

According to the text of the letter seen by Agence France-Presse, Macron said: “France must recognize that on that day, a confrontation between soldiers and shooters who demanded that they receive their full legitimate salary led to a series of events that led to a massacre. »

Faye did not rule out the possibility that her country would send a request to France to compensate the victims’ families.



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