This was in Abidjan on 20 January 2025. Several high-ranking political figures, including the President of the Senegalese National Assembly, El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, were present at this parliamentary session. The President of the Senegalese National Assembly, who was invited to this parliamentary session, spoke in a fraternal but solemn atmosphere.
Akwaba to the Ivorian
President Ndiaye was accompanied by a delegation from Senegal. And, with strong handshakes and hugs that his Ivorian counterpart, Adama Bictogo, wished the traditional Akwaba, welcome to him and the other members of his delegation. When Malick Ndiaye spoke, he used a language punctuated with metaphors and images to salute the spirit of hospitality of the Ivorians.

Call for African Unity Advocacy for a united Africa
In a brilliant speech, El Hadji Malick Ndiaye highlighted the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation between Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. Indeed, he urged both countries to join their efforts to address the political and economic challenges of Africa. “When the Senegalese Teranga meets the Ivorian Akwaba, it is a celebration of our common values of solidarity and peace,” he said. The laughter and applause were in the air when he compared thiéboudiène to the famous Ivorian attiéké. This very pictorial phrase has caused a general hilarity. Moreover, President Ndiaye did not fail to recall the historical ties between the two countries since independence. He also highlighted the proximity of their emblematic leaders, Léopold Sédar Senghor and Félix Houphouët-Boigny. “Our two nations share a unity of destiny and must continue along this path, strengthening their bilateral agreements,” he said, referring to the recent partnerships between the two states.

Advocacy for regional stability
In a few months, Côte d’Ivoire will host the presidential election. Aware that the electoral deadlines are crucial moments, the president of the Senegalese National Assembly stressed the importance of promoting peaceful and inclusive elections. This message of peace is in line with the words of Adama Bictogo who, at the beginning of the session, went in the same direction. Adama Bictogo announced that 25 priority bills in key areas such as human rights, environment and taxation will be reviewed.

A strong ECOWAS
El Hadji Malick Ndiaye reiterated the need to strengthen cooperation between West African parliaments. Indeed, in order to build a strong ECOWAS that will be at the service of people, it is necessary for States to stand together. In his speech, he said: “We must transform our regional space into a true economic and human community capable of meeting security and climate challenges.” In addition, the participation of the President of the Senegalese National Assembly at this session demonstrates his unwavering support for reaffirming relations between Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. It is this pan-African vision that the President of the Senegal parliament affirmed his commitment and that of Senegal to successful regional integration. This brotherhood, magnified in his speech, speaks of the need to build a united and prosperous Africa, where parliaments play a leading role. Undoubtedly, the Ivorian parliamentary session marks a turning point in the consolidation of relations between Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.

On 9 December 2024, the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, had a very eventful week in the French capital. A stop at the Invalides, a participation in the symbolic reopening of the Notre-Dame cathedral and, to top it all off, a working lunch with Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée. The highlight of his visit to Paris. No. Obviously, he had not come to contemplate (only) the newly renovated gargoyles of Notre-Dame.
Two countries, a common priority
After a remarkable arrival on Saturday, one could even say that among the heads of state in Paris this weekend, the Bissau-Guinean head of state, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, was the guest “star” – of course far behind Elon Musk (more than a head of state) and Donald Trump. He shook hands, hugged, poured a few words into each other’s ears, multiplied official and unofficial meetings. During his working lunch with Emmanuel Macron, he reminded France that Guinea-Bissau does exist, even if it is not francophone. But we’re not going to be talking about such a trivial detail, because this is the first meeting of its kind between the two leaders. This is a testament to the strong ties that unite these two countries as they go beyond language barriers. We do not need to speak the same language to find strategic priority points for the development of key sectors in each of our countries.

France-Guinea-Bissau, Keyword: cooperation
The lunch included discussions on energy transition, strengthening health and education systems, cultural development and regional security. Among the projects envisaged, the construction of a French high school in Guinea-Bissau represents a major step forward for the country’s youth. Umaro Sissoco Embalo believes that this bilateral cooperation is part of a strategy for stability and sustainable development. Increasingly, the Guinean president Bissau has been very present on the international stage since 2020. Chairman of the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), Embalo is a key interlocutor for western partners.

Embalo, not a fan of language
Umaro Sissoco Embalo has a quality, which could sometimes become a defect. This career military is a real African patchwork. As much as it allows him not to go unnoticed, it can be an obstacle in terms of diplomacy. Son of a corporal, descendant of Malian and Guinean lineages, Embalo embodies an Africa with plural identities. Frank, direct and without filter, his style is at odds with traditional diplomatic codes. Polyglot, he easily juggles between Portuguese, French, English and Spanish, which gives him a rare ease on the international scene. Embalo fully accepts this singularity that makes it almost impossible to do without him during the big meetings, despite the smallness of his country. Hence his presence in Paris for the reopening of Notre-Dame and his exchanges with Emmanuel Macron testify to this ambition.

Oil-filled speeches on bilateral cooperation
Although Guinea-Bissau is not a francophone country, it remains a key African partner for France. This working lunch in the Élysée marks an important step in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. For Embaló, it is not only a question of securing partnerships that are beneficial to his country, but also of consolidating his stature as an African leader committed to regional stability issues. That neither the size of a country nor the number of its inhabitants are an obstacle: it is enough to have charisma, substance, like Embalo.

In Senegal, the line between culture and politics is often very thin, and Stefane Kabou understood it perfectly. He perfectly embodies this symbiosis. Born in Dakar, he first made his weapons as a cultural actor. But, for some years now, he seems to have understood that the true strength of the African states must lie in his actions, by the way sovereignists, to get out of western oppression by giving the possibility to the Africans to take charge, without a western babysitting. Africa, an aggregate of disunited peoples, must become a living reality, this is in a few words the ambition of this movement.

Stefane Kabou on the political scene
Like a river following its normal course, Stefane Kabou came naturally to politics. For many years, it has multiplied actions in favor of the most disadvantaged and fought against incivism through extensive awareness campaigns, Not without being despised by some of his compatriots and ridiculed by more than one. In a concern for social justice and exasperated to see that Africa in general, and particularly Senegal can not take charge, he launched into politics. He wants to become an essential figure in the Senegalese political landscape, thanks to his movement, the “Mouvement Sénégal Souverain” in short (MSS).

Stefane Kabou, Leader Mouvement Sénégal Souverain (MSS))

Why the MSS?
At the beginning, the name of the “Mouvement Sénégal Souverain” was “NATANGUÉ”, which means in Wolof hope. The leader, Stefane Kabou, had as his goal, as it can be read on his Facebook page, to create: “a movement based on solidarity and mutual assistance” that proposes that “solidarity, dialogue, peace are at the center of the debates.” But this name has evolved into a more global form to become the MSS, a political and social movement that advocates for genuine social justice and national independence in African countries, particularly Senegal. Let us point out that this movement does not deny the reasons why it was created. Stefane Kabou, seeing the desolation of the most disadvantaged strata, the almost militant contempt of successive governments at the head of the Senegalese state, decided to launch into politics in order to act directly on the causes of the problems that are undermining the country.

Stefane Kabou, a freedom-loving sovereignist
By founding the “Mouvement Sénégal Souverain”, Stefane Kabou has given new life to his struggle and a certain dynamic to Senegalese politics. The MSS does not merely denounce the dysfunctions of political regimes, it proposes an alternative vision for the country. The Movement advocates total economic and political sovereignty of the country, highlighting the need to diversify the Senegalese economy and establish transparent governance. His words are clear: “Senegal must free itself from all external interference in order to finally control its own destiny.” What could be more normal?

Stefane Kabou, Leader Mouvement Sénégal Souverain (MSS))

The MSS, against injustice and for transparency
Stefane Kabou stands out in his actions, both on social networks and on the streets of Senegal, for his commitment against impunity, against poverty, against incivism. He does not take lightly to openly denounce what he perceives as abuse of power, while calling in a spirit of peace the parties to the negotiations, as was the case during the last elections in Senegal. This peace-loving man has always called for an end to the violence and injustice suffered by many Senegalese. For him, the struggle for national sovereignty also involves the restoration of justice and the rule of law.

Stefane Kabou, a visionary leader
The career of Stefane Kabou, from his beginnings in Kaolack to his rise on the national political scene, testifies to his determination to influence the future, the course of politics in Senegal. Through the MSS, this emblematic leader positions himself as a key player of the new generation of Senegalese leaders, ready to redefine the rules of the political game for a fairer and more sovereign future. Stefane Kabou is a visionary, a man whose commitment could well shape the future of Senegal. Under the impetus of the “Mouvement Sénégal Souverain”, Stefane Kabou is on his way to becoming an indispensable force in public debate, embodying the hope for a political renewal for many Senegalese.