Ousmane Sonko criticizes French ambassador over alleged interference in Senegal's internal affairs
via SeneNews1 min read
During the inauguration of a Pastef office in Mbacké, Ousmane Sonko strongly criticized the French Ambassador to Senegal, Christine Fages, accusing her of interfering in the country's internal affairs. Sonko addressed the controversy surrounding diplomatic passports, stating that their management is the prerogative of the President of the Republic, not the Prime Minister. He noted that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye initiated a policy to rationalize their allocation in 2024 to maintain Senegal's credibility. Sonko believes certain citizens, such as businesspeople, religious dignitaries, and those needing medical care abroad, could legitimately receive diplomatic passports. He then targeted the French diplomatic representation, alleging that the ambassador offered facilitated visa procedures to religious leaders as an alternative to denied diplomatic passports. Sonko stated he directly confronted Christine Fages, asking her to refrain from interventions he considers internal to Senegal's affairs. He drew a parallel to a hypothetical Senegalese ambassador intervening similarly with French officials. This incident follows previous tensions, including a December 2025 criticism by the Senegalese Ministry of Justice regarding the French ambassador's statements on Madiambal Diagne's extradition case, which were deemed inappropriate.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
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