POLITICS
SENEGAL – 62nd anniversary of independence/ full speech by President Macky Sall
Senegal Celebrates 62nd Anniversary of Independence: Full Speech by President Macky Sall
On the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of Senegal’s independence, President Macky Sall addressed his compatriots.
As is customary on the eve of the Independence Day, the President of the Republic, Macky, addressed himself in a radio-televised speech to the Senegalese people. We offer you his entire speech.
My dear compatriots,
Tomorrow, April 4, 2022, we are united in celebrating the 62nd anniversary of our country’s independence.
To all, dear compatriots here and in the Diaspora, I extend my warm congratulations.
I pay tribute to our valiant Lions, who gave us the first CAN in our history, and our country’s second consecutive World Cup football qualification.
Thank you, dear Lions, to your coach and your support for having carried so high the national colors.
Our prayers and best wishes for success accompany you on your journey to the 2022 World Cup. As always, the State will be at your side to give you all the necessary support.
On behalf of the African Union, which our country has the honour of presiding over this year, I greet our brothers and sisters in Africa and express to them my unwavering commitment to serve the interests of our continent.
By the grace of God, our national holiday is held in times of intense spiritual fervour, with Ramadan and Lent.
May the spirit of faith and harmony that this blessed time brings strengthen our living together in national peace, stability and harmony.
Due to the work on the BRT site, the parade marking this edition will take place in the Place de l’Indépendance, in a reduced format; but with all the solemnity that exalts our common desire for common life and the symbiosis Armée-Nation.
On your behalf and on my own, I wish to express to our dear veterans our sentiments of respect, affection and gratitude.
The enduring memory of their sacrifices in defence of freedom will always be etched in our hearts and minds.
To you, officers, non-commissioned officers and non-commissioned members, I reiterate my confidence and the pride of the nation.
I salute the memory of our fallen soldiers. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.
I renew my support for those of you who are deployed in the service of world peace, and in operations for the defence of territorial integrity, and the fight against cross-border crime and the looting of our natural resources.
I have instructed our Defence and Security Forces to continue these operations without respite until all assigned objectives are achieved.
The men and women who have chosen the profession of arms to defend the vital interests of the nation, at the risk of their lives, deserve our support and our gratitude.
That is why I want our soldiers’ living conditions to be constantly improved, their missions to be operationally effective and their families to be safe.
This year’s theme for Independence Day is Defence and Security Forces and National Resilience.
In a turbulent and uncertain global context, compounded by the profound health and economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, this theme invites us to persevere in our individual and collective efforts in the face of the challenges of our time.
Our Defence and Security Forces, standing shoulder to shoulder with the nation, have made a remarkable contribution to the implementation of our health and socio-economic response strategy, in addition to the execution of sovereign measures.
In the same spirit, in the face of increasing perils and the complexity of threats, the program of strengthening the operational capacities of our army continues, so that our Defence and Security Forces are ready, at all times and in all places, to ensure their mission of defending the national territory.
In addition, 12 new gendarmerie squadrons, 11 public security stations and 3 advanced border posts have been created, in addition to the acquisition of new means of combating major delinquency and organized crime.
These efforts, among others, will be maintained and strengthened.
My dear compatriots,
In my message to the nation on the occasion of the New Year, I spoke to you about our economic and social development policies, including the implementation of infrastructure projects essential to the goal of emergence.
Since then, we have:
– inaugurated Diamniadio’s Abdoulaye Wade Stadium and Foundiougne’s Nelson Mandela Bridge;
-commissioned the Camberen Autopont;
– launched the work on the second phase of the TER, while the implementation of the BRT and the Mbour-Fatick-Kaolack motorway projects is progressing at a satisfactory pace.
At the same time, vocational training, employment and the socio-economic integration of young people remain at the heart of my priorities.
The implementation of the Xëyu ndaw ñi Emergency Programme, funded to the tune of CFAF 450 billion over three years, continues within the Employment and Entrepreneurship Clusters for Youth and Women, DER/FJ, ANPEJ, ADPME, FONGIP, FERA, PROMOVILLES, AGETIP, 3FPT and the National State-Private Employers Convention.
In total, in various sectors such as the environment and living environment, health, tourism, security, national civic service and socio-educational animation, the Emergency Programme generated 46,334 jobs, 12,200 training vouchers and funded 86,023 beneficiaries.
Training centres in the horticultural, poultry, hotel and restaurant sectors were received in Diama, Thiepp, Diamniadio, Gandon and Ziguinchor; and 12 local centres were opened in various localities in the regions of Saint-LaurentLouis, Matam, Louga, Diourbel and Fatick.
This evening, my dear compatriots, considering the high risk of shortages and soaring prices due to the global crisis, I call for a general mobilization to increase and enhance our agricultural, livestock and fishing products.
In order to provide relief to households, I lowered the prices of basic necessities, including rice, sugar and oil; and increased the subsidy of local rice.
But to be safe from the vagaries of the international economy, we must, through an individual and collective effort on our own, show resilience by quickly winning the battle for food sovereignty.
Indeed, independence is not an isolated act of a day, but a permanent struggle, which is also being won on the front of food security. This is what adds to national sovereignty an additional freedom.
We have to produce what we consume and consume what we produce.
This is the sense of massive investments that the State continues to devote to the modernization and diversification of the sectors of livestock, fisheries and agriculture.
In addition, for the second time in a row, the budget for the crop year has been increased from CFAF 60 billion to CFAF 70 billion this year.
In this quest for food self-sufficiency, I urge the vital forces of the nation, especially young people, women and the private sector, to invest more in the value chains of livestock, fisheries and agriculture.
The experience of the Community Agricultural Estates (CARs) shows that we can meet this challenge, just like the beautiful harvests of Keur Momar Sarr’s CARs, only seven months after its launch last July.
The same is true of the Mboro Incubator pilot project, launched by the Senegalese Youth Entrepreneurship Programme in partnership with the private sector as part of the Xëyu ndaw ñi initiative.
In less than a year, this modern multifunctional complex, funded to more than CFAF 5 billion, has achieved excellent performance by putting quality products on the market.
In addition, the incubator has trained 1,053 young people, more than 22,000 GIE members, and assisted 500 young entrepreneurs in completing the necessary paperwork for their activities.
Meeting the challenge of food self-sufficiency also means facilitating trade between production areas and markets.
This is the purpose of the Special Road Opening Programme, covering more than 2500 km of roads currently in operation.
In addition, the Northern and Central Agricultural Connectivity Improvement Program, funded by the State and supported by the World Bank, will soon be launched.
At an overall cost of CFAF 130 billion, this new programme will provide road infrastructure and capacity building for training and production.
Among other things, it will facilitate access to areas of agricultural production, fisheries and livestock farming, in order to improve transport conditions and strengthen internal trade and with neighbouring countries.
In addition, the rural component of the Programme d’Appui aux Communes et Agglomérations du Sénégal (PACASEN-rural), funded to the tune of CFAF 352 billion, will start this year to improve access to basic social services in 435 municipalities.
I would remind you that the urban component of PACASEN is already in operation.
The policies of territorial equity and social justice will always remain at the centre of my concerns; for from the bottom of my heart, I want every Senegalese and every Senegalese to have his share of well-being, dignity and decency as a nation that wants to show solidarity, united and indivisible can offer to all its citizens.
This is the vocation of the Senegalese nation. That is the legacy of the elders, and that is the legacy we owe to future generations.
For my part, I will remain tirelessly the vigilant guardian of this national heritage and the demands attached to our values of culture and civilization.
Together, my dear compatriots, on the path marked out by our elders, let us continue to build this nation rich in its diversity; this warm and welcoming nation, which embraces us and makes our hearts beat at every moment of our lives, to give life and strength to our common destiny.
Long live Senegal!
Good evening and happy Independence Day.
POLITICS
SENEGAL Moussa Tine: “We launch a solemn appeal to the diaspora for the International Exhibition of Investment of the African Diaspora – SIDIA
Exclusive interview with Moussa Tine, the Director General of Urbanism and Habit. From September 26 to 28, 2025, at the Domaine de Choully, Africa – and particularly Senegal goes to meet its diaspora. For three days, the event will bring together several hundred entrepreneurs, including 30 from Senegal, investors, policy makers and artists. It is an unprecedented exhibition that brings together strategic sectors such as housing, agriculture, but also industry and commerce.
Why involve the diaspora and why organize this International Diaspora Investment Fair? Why this fair?
This exhibition today is a moment of exchange, an indispensable meeting point for government policy and particularly the policy of these three sectors, namely housing, construction, agriculture, industry and commerce. It is these three ministries that bring together their strategies, their strengths, to go out to meet the diaspora. The diaspora plays a decisive, extremely important role in the country’s economy and in its socio-economic stability. It is an important moment, a decisive moment, a moment that will also help us to financially complete a number of projects that are underway, but also to give the opportunity to the nationals of the diaspora to contribute to the development of their country. Each ministry today develops projects and this fair is an opportunity to give the diaspora the necessary information, either to integrate these projects or to collaborate with the State in the context of public-private partnerships or direct investments under the auspices of the State. Here is, in a global manner, the object of the exhibition. Today, this the exhibition is a decisive moment, an important one, with challenges defined across the three sectors I have just mentioned.
Thus, what is the economic weight of the diaspora?
The weight of the diaspora is well established. Today, it plays a decisive role in our economy. The diaspora is strong and economically involved, not only in a family way, but also through local and international initiatives. Therefore, involving the diaspora means redefining its role in a strategic way, which must no longer be limited to family support but contribute directly to the development of the country. This can be done through financial investment projects through programmes structured by the Ministry of Urban Planning, Local Authorities and Spatial Planning. I take the example of the PNALRU (National Program for Access to Housing), a project designed and led by the Ministry of Urbanism. We know that most of our fellow citizens in the diaspora have a house or housing project because they want to invest in their home. But often, they do not have the necessary information to do it in a secure way, nor quality support. Projects like the PNALRU offer a secure framework at the level of land, construction, but also marketing, in a transparent manner. These are projects that the State has implemented and which allow the diaspora to have easier access to land, and to participate directly in the national economy. The diaspora complains about not having enough information on state initiatives. This exhibition is a way to reach out to her, to provide as much information as possible about ongoing projects and integration modalities. We know that a part of the diaspora already has the initiative to return or to work in collaboration with the State. This show will therefore be a B2B meeting, a space where the diaspora and the State will be able to meet, establish collaborative relationships, and create what I often call a “return ticket”, that is to say an opportunity for many Senegalese to prepare for a secure and planned return.
Mr. Director, what is the direct message you send to the diaspora, especially to that of Geneva, because the exhibition will take place there?
Yes, the exhibition will be held in Geneva. This choice does not come by chance. Geneva is a financial capital and a business hub. Organizing it there highlights a decisive point in the outcome of projects: the financial dimension and the technical dimension. The objective is that from this exhibition, not only do we provide the necessary information to the diaspora, but also that we mobilize its capital to encourage it to invest in real estate, agriculture and industry. Each ministry will present development projects that the diaspora can appropriate, whether in housing, agriculture or industry. These sectors are linked: industry supports habitat, habitat needs building materials, and agriculture requires infrastructure. This sectoral transversality will allow for maximum opportunities to be created for the diaspora. In Geneva, for three days, we will have exchanges, panels, permanent exhibitions (more than 30 planned), and B2B meetings between the state, professionals, the diaspora, and the private sector. The aim is to mobilize investors, experts and promoters to implement joint projects.
Who are the partners of this project?
In Senegal, we have the Ministry of Urbanism, Territorial Collectivities and Spatial Planning, which leads, with the Ministries of Industry and Trade, and Agriculture as co-organizers. We also work in partnership with Me Events, a structure specialized in the organization of events, and with partners in Geneva, such as the African Village Association and Afrique Néon.
Mr. Director, to conclude, what message do you want to send to the Senegalese in the diaspora?
I take this opportunity to make a solemn appeal to all our fellow citizens of the diaspora. This exhibition is made for you. Its objective is clear: to mobilize the diaspora, not only for its expertise, but also for its investments. Invest in yourself. Invest in Senegal. Invest in Africa. This fair is yours, make it your own, and make it a channel for communication and development. The success of this exhibition will be the success of the national policy towards the diaspora. Senegal comes to you, your country comes to you, in order to discuss your projects and those we develop here. Come in large numbers, because together we can ensure inclusive development where every contribution counts. Thank you and I hope to see you very soon at the Geneva exhibition, from September 26 to 28.
Initially scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the major march of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire – African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA), the main opposition party in Côte d’Ivoire, will finally take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025. This postponement was announced by the party’s Executive Secretary, who points out that the decision came after discussions between the PDCI leadership and the authorities of the Abidjan department. The details of these discussions have not been made public.
This demonstration, highly anticipated by the party’s activists and supporters, aims to support the candidacy of its president, Tidjane Thiam, in the presidential election of 2025, and to protest against his removal from the electoral list. A decision that the party qualifies as unfair and unacceptable, arguing for the right of all Ivorian citizens, including those with dual nationality, to participate in the political life of the country.
The route of the march remains unchanged: the protesters will leave from the SOCOCE space of the 2 Plateaux, in the municipality of Cocody, to head towards the headquarters of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). The party calls for a strong peaceful mobilization in order to convey a clear message: demand inclusive, transparent and peaceful elections.
The removal of Tidjane Thiam and other opposition figures is mainly based on the issue of dual nationality, a legal provision that continues to be debated as the election approaches. The PDCI, which sees in Thiam a rally candidate capable of unifying the Ivorians, intends to make this march a highlight of its campaign and its democratic fight.
Photo credit: Tidiane Thiam page
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Morissanda Kouyaté, received this Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Conakry a delegation from the African Union, on an official visit to Guinea. On this occasion, he reaffirmed the commitment of the transitional authorities to respect the deadlines set for the return to constitutional order, while stressing the historical and central role of Guinea in the construction of the Pan-African project.
« I am very happy. The African Union is at Guinea’s side to accompany and support the vision of the head of state, President Mamadi Doumbouya, in favor of Guinea and Africa, in the political, diplomatic, economic, and cultural fields, declared the head of Guinean diplomacy.
This meeting takes place in a context marked by the preparations for the constitutional referendum scheduled for next September 21.
Morissanda Kouyaté also recalled the founding involvement of Guinea in the creation of the Organization of African Unity, which became the African Union. “This visit materializes the commitment of the Peace and Security Council to accompany Guinea in a dynamic of ambitious political and diplomatic transformation,” he stressed.
The minister indicated that all actions related to the transition are currently funded by the national development budget, while calling for a broader mobilization of the international community. “We have requested a round table, called the Basketfront, to seek support to speed up the process. But this does not mean that we will give up,” he said, reiterating President Doumbouya’s willingness to scrupulously respect the scheduled deadlines.
He finally wanted to reassure on the efforts made to ensure an inclusive electoral process. “We are going through a difficult period, and that is why we want all Guineans to be registered in order to obtain a reliable electoral roll,” concluded Morissanda Kouyaté.
Source: guinee360 / Photo credit: Page Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guinea
