POLITICS
SENEGAL-LEGISLATIVE: Awa Faly Ba, an exceptional candidate.
Awa Faly Ba is an active citizen who has been working in NGOs and cooperation for nearly 20 years. She has had the opportunity to travel across Senegal, the West African subregion and a small part of the world to promote participatory research, sustainable development, leadership and respect for children’s rights. Today in order to run for a mandate of deputy in the National Assembly for the legislative elections of July 30, 2017, it presents itself in its party Union Citizen “Bunt Bi”. Focus on an exceptionally committed woman.
How did you get into politics?
I arrived there quite naturally. Very young, I had an awakening citizen and an awareness of our duty to act to fight injustices. I would always remember my first film at the Amok Cinema on apartheid in South Africa. My academic choices have been shaped by this commitment. My work then gave me the opportunity to better understand the development issues and the crucial role of citizens through the different positions I have held in national and international NGOs and networks. In 2000, we were all euphoric for the first alternation of Senegal, then very quickly we disillusioned. Thus, in 2007, already, with a group of close friends with whom we share the civic commitment, the passion for Africa and an afro optimism deep, to create a party that could mobilize all the citizens of Senegal and change the leadership.
What is the philosophy of your Citizen Union party “Bunt-Bi” for a citizen assembly in the service of Senegal?
Union Citoyenne wants to put the citizen at the heart of the political action of public and political action. We want a new Senegalese leadership. Our colors are the blue of heating which symbolizes the workman and the work. Our country needs to be reworked thoroughly and thoroughly. The brown that refers to the earth refers to our respect for land and sustainable development.
What does your party bring to the Senegalese political landscape?
We want to catalyze the citizens’ awareness that began a long time ago in Senegal but struggle to find a space for structuring and expression. For the 2017 legislative elections, as we had already done at the local level in 2014, we opened our lists to all citizens and social and professional organizations wishing to push the doors of the National Assembly. So we have a very diverse list, from the taxi driver, the small fruit and vegetable trader to the industrialist, the teacher and the unemployed. We are also very proud to say that 50% of our investments are less than 50 years old and that more than 90% are active (not professional politicians) and all are useful in one way or another to their Community from which they derive their credibility. Vulnerable layers are included in our list and not for figuration. I am so admiring of the determination of Fama Ka, our blind candidate of Pikine, who knows the law, teaches French, Arabic and Wolof to children. Who better than it can bring the voice of people with disabilities. Our diaspora is also represented by “model roles”.
Can you elaborate on your program? “Acting to serve Senegal” is part of your slogan, how you are going to go about it and in what specific areas you want to take concrete action and how will you proceed?
We have priority projects that we want to bring to the National Assembly: According to a recent IFAN study, 3 young Senegalese out of 4 from 15 to 35 years want to leave Senegal. It is an extraordinary and intolerable failure of our policies in favor of youth: a deliquescent education (for which 40% of the national budget is invested in this sector.) In Senegal, there is no visionary and consistent policy of leisure And culture, and too few economic opportunities Our children belong to the world 3.0 when our policies are obsolete We want a holistic and visionary youth policy Access to health care is a right scorned on a daily basis: maltreatment, Medical wandering, lack of infrastructure and what to say about the diseases that are breaking the records of mortality Union Citizen Bunt Bi has as priority site to bring the state to a public health policy specific for cancer and all these diseases that emerge. Senegal is becoming an oil and gas country. Natural resource management is becoming more than ever an economic, political and environmental issue Transparency of financial management and the redistribution of income, the relevance of economic options and the sustainability of the mode of exploitation. You know that Senegal has signed all the conventions on climate, but then, on the national regulations everything remains to be done. Finally, Senegal has a despairing administration of slowness and contradictions, whereas it is excessively expensive to maintain. The last national blunder is the production and distribution of voter cards. For decades, there has been talk of its modernization without any really meaningful action, no guidelines, a regulatory framework for this pious wish. That’s to give you an idea.
Which deputy will you be when you are elected?
I would be more than ever at the service of Senegal. We want to open the door of the National Assembly, to bring it closer to the concerns of citizens and to distance it from the political calculations that make it an institution that is far from playing its role. Our commitment is to represent Senegalese dignitaries by maintaining a permanent citizen dialogue on all matters of national interest. We will also urge the Assembly to legislate on our priority projects. Finally, we will monitor government action at the outset of the presentation of the Finance Act, the appropriateness of options, the transparency of assignments and then their efficiency. Together we can dust off our institutions and put them in total transparency at the service of the Senegalese.
Awa Faly Ba talks about the importance of choosing her list on this video.
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
