President Macky Sall of Senegal has commended the way and manner Nigeria is supporting the cost of war against insurgency and terrorist activities in all the Lake Chad Basin areas.
The Senegalese leader gave the commendation at the end of a dinner meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and President Umaro Embalo of Guinea Bissau at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
He also lauded Nigeria for supporting the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) toward the restoration of peace and constitutional order in Mali.
“What I can say on Mali is that I did know that ECOWAS was very involved since the beginning (of the political crisis). Of course Mali is one of our great countries in ECOWAS.
“As you know, Mali is under occupation by terrorists, even Niger Republic, and I want to salute the great action of Nigeria against Boko Haram and how Nigeria is supporting the cost of war even in all the Lake Chad Basin area.
“Nigeria is also supporting ECOWAS including Mali, Niger and in Burkina Faso where we have a very serious situation,’’ he said.
Sall reiterated the commitment of the ECOWAS leaders to continue to support the transitional government in Mali to enable it meet the December 2021 deadline of conducting elections in that country.
Mali has appointed a civilian as Interim President who will stay in office for 18 months and lead the country back to constitutional order, after the military had taken over power in the country.
The visiting president said: “Although, we had a big political crisis in Mali, but hopefully today everything there is better as we continue to give support to the country’s transitional arrangements.
“So we will help and we will continue to support and we hope by the end of December of next year they will come back to the normal constitutional order and they will have elections and they can come back very strongly with the nations of ECOWAS.
“So, what I can say is today everybody is helping Mali, we lifted the sanctions and ECOWAS has shown a big leadership during this crisis.’’
The Senegalese leader further revealed that they had fruitful bilateral talks with President Buhari bordering on security, economic, COVID-19 as well as regional and global issues.
“I’m not here for summit. I came with my young brother, President Embalo, to pay this visit, to discuss with him (President Buhari), of course, about bilateral relations and also about the region, Africa, about the COVID-19 and all problems we are having in this world.
“So, let me thank President Buhari for hosting us on African traditional way and it’s a big honour for me again to tell him; `thank you President Buhari, thank you for hospitality; thank you also for the officials you brought this evening’’
On his part, President Umaro Embalo also expressed appreciation to President Buhari for his support and the fatherly advice he had been receiving from him before and after his inauguration as president of Guinea Bissau.
He explained that he named a street in Bissau, capital of Guinea Bissau, after President Buhari as a mark of honour and respect he has for the Nigerian leader due to his honesty, discipline and fear of God.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, some cabinet members as well as presidential aides from Nigeria, Senegal and Guinea Bissau attended the dinner.
