A first in ten years, the last budgetary support of the country of Marianne dating from 2012. A way of demonstrating even more clearly that the Prime Minister remains the « money maker » that he was at the Ministry of Economy and finances.Would Amadou Ba once again become the Grand Money Maker of Africa?After having helped the Government of Niger to collect a jackpot of more than 14 trillion, the Prime Minister will have achieved the feat of bringing back from his trip to Paris, a gift of 100 billion CFA francs, offered by France to Senegal.At the end of the Franco-Senegalese Intergovernmental Seminar (Sig), which was held at the Château des Champssur Marne, the two heads of government were able to finalise the donation of 100 billion from France to Senegal, in the form of budgetary support.These are, according to both parties, funds intended to help Senegal bear the exogenous costs of the Ukrainian crisis on the Senegalese economy.We know that, in addition to the shortage of certain food products and certain factors of production, the Ukrainian crisis has led to a drastic increase in several everyday consumer products, and consequently, in the cost of living.It is noteworthy that the last budget support granted by France to Senegal dates from 2012.For about 10 years, the French authorities had never seen fit to trigger this aid mechanism for their West African ally.It is therefore an important diplomatic and financial success that Amadou Ba can rightly attribute to his account.But it could also be interpreted as recognition of the difficulties faced by Senegal, due to the situation created by the war between Ukraine, its allies, and Russia.Another notable decision, resulting from the meeting of the Château des Champssur Marne, would be the French support, of all the financing gaps of the TER (Dakar express train network).This means that the new section, which goes from Diamniadio to Aibd, should, thanks to this measure, experience an acceleration in its construction, and consequently, make traffic conditions even more fluid in the regions of Dakar and Thiès.All these decisions, and others, further demonstrate, the privileged nature of relations between France and Senegal.As the Senegalese government press release says, the Sig was “created in 2015 to coordinate the multiple aspects of the bilateral relationship between Senegal and France.The Franco-Senegalese Intergovernmental Seminar (Sig) which meets alternately in Paris and Dakar constitutes a unique framework for discussion and decision-making between the two countries.The two parties meet again after two postponements in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

By Mouhamed GUEYE / mgueye@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH