Senegalese Prime Minister advisor: The French forces must leave because this is an indication of sovereignty
A close advisor to Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, Ala Kahn said, “French forces must leave Senegal, because that is an indication of sovereignty,” adding that the presence of French soldiers in the country “is a way to tell us that we aren’t independent yet”.
In an interview with the Senegalese newspaper Bès Bi, Kahn asked, “What are they doing here?” Referring to the French soldiers, he added, “You’ll never see Senegalese soldiers in France”.
Ala Kahn, a prominent political figure in Senegal, who is 88 years old, explained that the talk today is focused on “military, even food and digital sovereignty; Therefore, they must leave”.
Regarding the CFA franc, Kahn said that Senegal could abandon it and “mint its own currency before the end of President Diomaye Faye’s first term… We’ve experienced economists who can realize this idea”.
Kahn considered that “a large part of the serious economic difficulties is due to the African franc,” highlighting that “France colonized Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and all of these countries were able to create their own currencies”.
Regarding Sonko’s commitment to renegotiate contracts concluded with foreign companies, a few months before the start of gas production in Senegal, and whether this is considered a “risky adventure” for Senegal, Kahn explained that “it’s the people who are demanding the renegotiation of these contracts… We’ll do this in implementation of a new win-win partnership policy”.
Kahn stressed that it’s no longer acceptable to continue to witness the extraction of zircon, gold, and iron, and their transportation abroad at the expense of the national interest, as the exploitation of these minerals in the country could create thousands of job opportunities, and if our young people who are dying in If the Mediterranean Sea is unable to find work in Senegal’s extractive industries, they won’t undertake such an adventure.
