Gambiaj.com – (PARIS) – Former Senegalese President Macky Sall, who recently left office on April 2, had a discreet dinner meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on the evening of April 21.

The meeting, which was not officially announced, reportedly focused on various topics, including the recent election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye as the new Senegalese president.

The two leaders also discussed the state of their relations, which had deteriorated during the Senegalese presidential campaign. They had multiple phone conversations during the very dramatic Senegalese presidential campaign, which included multiple efforts at postponements (AI, 03/08/24). At least twice, the president of France urged Macky Sall to abide by the “fundamental law and the decisions of the Constitutional Council.” Additionally, Emmanuel Macron had told his counterpart in Senegal that if a postponement was necessary, it would only take “a few weeks.”

Macron and Sall agreed to meet again in the fall, although no specific date has been set yet.

Macky Sall’s role as a special envoy of the Paris Pact for People and the Planet (4P) was also on the agenda. Macron has been a strong supporter of Sall’s appointment to this position, which involves carrying out several international missions. Sall recently visited the United States, where he met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.

During the meeting, the two leaders also discussed the regional situation, particularly the emergence of juntas hostile to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Sall, who is now based in Marrakech, also raised the issue of the two-term limit in West Africa, a requirement supported by Washington and the European Union but which Sall believes does not address the continent’s current realities.