Article produced in collaboration with Bamba Siaka Doh Ouattara

On Monday 3 October 2022, the Member States of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) voted in Bucharest, Romania, on the composition of the next ITU General Assembly for the next four years (2023-2026). Senegal was re-elected to the Council of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) at the Conference of Plenipotentiaries. A man weighed his weight in order for this to happen: President Macky Sall’s special advisor in charge of Digital: Dr. Ibnou Taimiya Sylla. Ze-Africanews went to meet him. In this interview he also answered our political questions including the third term, the election of the President of the National Assembly, the appointment of the Prime Minister, the split of Mimi Touré but also the vote of budget 2023 for a total amount of 6400 billion FCFA

Senegalese President Macky Sall had a hollow nose when he appointed Dr Ibnou Taimiya Sylla as special adviser. This man of value combines solid political qualities with those of a man of great knowledge. With his background as an engineer and his extensive experience in managing complex projects and «Team Building» that he has acquired from the major multinationals of the world, we can say that in terms of digital technology, He’s the right man for President Macky Sall. He thinks, as he himself said on his Facebook page in a post dated May 26, 2021, well before the local, communal and departmental elections of January 23, 2022: my achievements and my training “… They strengthen my ability to lead the rebirth, socio-economic, cultural and environmental development of the capital of Niani.”

Originally from Koumpentoum in the Tambacounda region of Senegal, Dr. Ibnou Taimiya Sylla is the eldest son of Imam Sheikh Soubky Sylla. Ibnou Taimiya Sylla came from a long line of marabout early on and learned the Qur’an and Sunnah from the prophet Muhammad. Having grown up between Koumpentoum and Dakar, he obtained his baccalaureate at the Lycée Seydou Nourou Tall (former Lycée d’application de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure). He left for Tunis, entered the École Supérieure des Postes et télécommunications in Tunis and obtained his Diploma in Telecommunications Engineering in 1990. In 1996, he graduated with a Master’s degree in Applied Sciences (Microwave Option/ Space Electronics), followed by a PhD in Applied Sciences (Microelectronics) obtained in 1999 at École Polytechnique de Montréal. He holds a Master’s degree in Space Electronics from Montreal and a Master’s degree in Finance and Strategic Leadership from the University of Dallas. In addition to being an expert in «Internet of things» technology, he is also a consultant for many international start-ups and government regulatory agencies. President of the DISSO party – “movement for hope and development” during the local elections of 23 January when he was elected to the town hall of Koumpentoum and finally the presidential mobility “DEFAR SA GOX”.

Dr. Ibnou Taimiya Sylla was heavily soaked in his experiences abroad. It has therefore set itself the objective of achieving in Senegal the economic and social emergence. This goes hand in hand with improving the living conditions of rural populations. This man did not wait to enter politics to make his contribution to the poorest sections of the Senegalese population. Its Diisoo Party, – Movement for Hope and Development -, intends to promote a new perception of the interaction between government and citizens. In this way, it intends to contribute to the economic and social emergence of Senegal and to the improvement of the living conditions of the Senegalese populations. With his team from Diisoo-MED, he set himself the goal of establishing a new social project that will promote the construction of a prosperous and respected Senegal in the concert of nations.

Mimo Dia Leydimen, a pan-Africanist activist, humanist, human rights defender and essayist, talks about her love, passion, ambition, thoughts, philosophy and vision of the African continent.

[FOR YOU, THAT’S WHAT AFRICA] is a show by Ze-Africanews.com. It is a series of interviews of African men and women from the continent and the diaspora: journalists, entrepreneurs, artists, writers, opinion leaders, political actors, activists… To tell us their ambition, their African vision of the continent. 

The full interview here: 

I am Mimo Dia Leydimen 
I’m a pan-African activist 
Humanist, defender of human rights 
I’m an essayist writer 

What do you think Africa is? 

I’m going to surprise you 
For me Africa is not a continent 
That’s not true, Africa is not a continent
Africa is a country 
We pose most often 
This question and the answer is always constant 
Africa is not a continent
Africa is a country 
Because we’re all black Africans 
We have the same cultures
The same traditions, the same values 
We are the same people 
We have been balcanized
To say that 
We are a continent
We are not a continent
We are a country
With values, with principles

For me Africa is a continent 
Very, very young, very dynamic 
Very very rich, but very impoverished
Very much kept in poverty 
Extreme, abyssal by the powers 
Colonial, imperialist 
French! European! Chinese! 

For me, Africa is misery 
It’s misery in its depth 
But it is a misery imposed 

For me Africa is joy
It’s prosperity and it’s a little bit
The Intended Ignorance 

For me Africa, this ignorance is wanted 
Because Africa has been reshaped 
Reshaping to please other peoples 
So that we could hold on 
In poverty and I believe that 
You’re a journalist, you’re a witness
African people read less  
Because unfortunately, it’s a truth 
Less educated, we tend to copy
What the Arabs do
What white people do 
What other peoples do 
While other peoples envy us 
But in secret  

For me Africa, today
It’s the rebirth of his ashes  
For me Africa is a continent 
Who has been enslaved 
Muslim Arab Trafficking 14 Centuries 
The slave trade 400 years 
Colonization 200 to 300
And today this new form of domination 
What we call colonialism

For me Africa is that Africa 
Suffering and nothing but suffering 
But, you know, we as Africans
This suffering can be fought 
Because in suffering 
May the truth be born again 
it is in suffering that one rebels 
And try to change things 

For me Africa is hope 
It is hope 
And I think that message is very clear 
For centuries we have been kept 
In the abysmal poverty
But that was before 
‘Cause today’s day
Sankara had said: 
“Kill Sankara and millions of Sankara will be born”
He is right, that is what is being born today
We are revolted people 
because we want to be right 
To our humble servant Thomas Sankara 
And that moment will come 
Because Africa is teeming with intellectuals today
We’re not afraid of anyone 
We will attack those who get Africa in front
Knowledge versus Knowledge 
Not in violence, not in war 
Because violence is the weapon of the weak
Africa has suffered this violence 
That’s why she’s weak 
But we will use knowledge 
Sole pledge only guarantee 
To set the record straight 
To help our people

We are in the process of 
A work of awakening consciences
It’s true that right now 
We’ll already be dead because 
A man’s life is short 
But what we have produced 
As a writer as an activist
Will remain in place 
And our grandchildren will come 
See the light we have indicated
And we dare hope at least 
That these great-grandsons will get those books back 
will read it and understand them 
And will walk in the same direction as us 
In the same way as 
We honored the wishes of Thomas Sankara

Africa is a river of leonine contract
That is to say corruption, bad governance
Facade democracies, wars 
that are built back-to-back and connected to 
Prefabricated solutions under the nose and beard 
Of the damned international community
And when I say international community 
I mean France, the United States, 
Germany and Great Britain 
All these imperialist and colonial powers
And I think that moment will come 
And that moment is on the way and he’s gonna hit 
And when he hits, he hits everywhere in Africa 
Whether you are Peul, Diola, mankagne, bambara
Whether you are Muslim, atheist or Christian 
Whether you are black, light or dark skin 
The essentials, if you’re black 
We’ll show you the way 
Development and success

Ze-Africanews.com launched its series of interviews with African men and women from the continent and the diaspora: journalists, entrepreneurs, artists, opinion leaders, political actors, activists… To tell us their ambition and their AFRICAN vision.

For this first part, we went to the roads of Yaoundé to meet Sandra Bello CEO of Bello Corporation who tells us about his love, his passion, his ambition, his thoughts, his philosophy and his vision of the African continent.

Some excerpts: 
I’m a writer, producer, director
director and president of the association of BELLO CORPORATION
For me AFRICA is YOU
For me AFRICA is ME
For me, AFRICA is the human being in general
For me, AFRICA is diversity 
For me, AFRICA is the RED LAND, 
YELLOW soil per location
For me, AFRICA is the wealth that resides in the soil

The full video here: