Senegal: Obama’s Senegal visit a highpoint of 2013

31 Décembre 2013

LIBREVILLE, December 31 (Infosplusgabon) -  The visit by US president Barack Obama to Senegal in June was one of the most outstanding events of the year in the West African country.

Apart from Ghana, which President Obama visited in 2009, Senegal, a French-speaking country, is the only sub-Saharan country that received president Obama when he visited Africa this year. The 2013 visit also took the US president to South Africa and Tanzania.

The visit also had an economic interest of bringing American investors to work with African counterparts.

"Americans are now aware of the need to review their cooperation with African countries," said Ahmadou Tidiane Diallo, a lawyer.

He said that Senegal, which was known for its economic, political and social stability, was proud to receive the US president.

During his visit to Dakar, president Obama visited Goree Island and its famous House of Slaves to pay tribute to victims of the obnoxious slave trade.

At the security level, the Senegalese security forces benefited from logistics to detect terrorists. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US police secretly sent instructors to train Senegalese agents for weeks before the arrival of President Obama.

The US president also met the judges of the Supreme Court to stress the importance of the independence of the judiciary and the key role institutions linked to it should play.

US First Lady, Michelle Obama, encouraged students, women particularly, to invest more in their education for a secure future.

Stressing the important sacrifices made by parents and the efforts she herself made to become what she is today, Mrs Obama urged girls to work very hard.

Senegal, which is seen as a stable country in the Sahel, a region threatened by jihadists, has enviable credentials for its long democratic tradition in Africa prone to coups and dictatorships.

In addition, the country experienced its second political change through free and fair elections won during the run-off by Macky Sall.

President Abdoulaye Wade, who was standing as candidate for the third time, conceded defeat and congratulated his rival. (Source PANA)

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/MAN/GABON 2013

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