Nigeria and Senegal are committed to promoting democracy in West Africa, the scene of numerous coups d’état, during the first official visit to Nigeria by the new Senegalese president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the Nigerian presidency announced. The two countries have “a common interest in democracy,” assured Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, quoted Thursday, May 16, in a presidential press release.
He urged his Senegalese counterpart to bring “brotherly” West African countries affected by “unconstitutional overthrows of government” “back to the fold.” He was referring to Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, countries ruled by soldiers following coups, which announced at the beginning of the year their decision to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
According to the Nigerian press release, Bassirou Diomaye Faye said he hoped to convince, alongside Nigeria, other countries to “come back and share our common democratic values and what we represent”. ECOWAS, which Mr. Tinubu chairs, “is going through a difficult period, but all is not lost,” added Mr. Faye, according to the press release. The two leaders also said they wanted to tackle common challenges, such as human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
A left-wing pan-Africanist, Mr. Faye, who became the youngest president of Senegal at 44, won the presidential election on March 24 on the promise of a break with the system in place, embodied according to him by his predecessor, Macky Sall. The latter had caused a pre-electoral crisis after having decreed the postponement of the presidential election in February.
“Constitutional democracy is what Senegal has proven to the rest of the world and to Africa. It’s a joy to have you here, Mr. Tinubu told Mr. Faye, according to the statement. And the Nigerian president added: “We are at a critical moment in the history of constitutional democracy, particularly in West Africa. What you have undertaken, a struggle focused on freedom, is remarkable. »