Senegal’s President Set for France Visit in First Official Trip Outside of Africa

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will visit France this week for his first official trip outside Africa since his inauguration on April 2. In Paris, Faye will attend the Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation, a GAVI event where the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, which aims to enhance Africa’s capacity to tackle health crises, will be launched. The summit will be held on Thursday, following which Faye will have lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron. Senegal, which was colonized by France, has historically strong political and economic ties with the European country. However, Faye, a left-wing pan-Africanist, has been highly critical of Senegal’s relationship with its former colonial ruler. His government has expressed its desire for self-determination and freedom from France’s interference and he has, in the past, emphasized that any partnership between the two should be mutually beneficial.SOURCE: LE MONDE