The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Macky Sall

  • Buhari, ECOWAS leaders meet on Burkina Faso‎

    Buhari, ECOWAS leaders meet on Burkina Faso‎

    President Muhammadu Buhar and eight other ECOWAS leaders are locked in a closed- door meeting over the political logjam in Burkina-Faso.

    The extra-ordinary meeting which is ongoing is expected discuss the ongoing political crisis in Burkina Faso and the way out of the imbroglio.

    ECOWAS has since placed Burkina-Faso on suspension, following a military coup which toppled the interim government headed by Michel Kafando.

    ECOWAS leaders attending the meeting which is taking place at the Presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport are – John Mahama (Ghana), Thomas Boni Yayi (Benin Republic), Macky Sall (Senegal) and Alassane Ouattara (Côte d’Ivoire).

    The leaders of Guinea, Niger Republic and Mali are also in attendance.

    Buhari in his welcome remark said the development in Burkina-Faso runs contrary to the expectations of ECOWAS‎.

    He stressed that the extraordinary summit therefore provides the opportunity to review the development.

    ‎He also commended the process of engagement by the regional body, which according to him, has resulted in some measure of understanding towards the resolution of the crisis.

     

  • B/Faso crisis: Jonathan, two others in Ouagadougou for talks

    B/Faso crisis: Jonathan, two others in Ouagadougou for talks

    President Goodluck Jonathan has arrived in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, for talks aimed at ending the current political crisis in that country.

    Jonathan is joined by Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal and John Mahama of Ghana.

    Mahama is the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government.

    The three leaders are members of a delegation of Heads of State and Government raised by ECOWAS to intervene in the crisis triggered by Friday’s resignation of Blaise Compaore as Burkina Faso President, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

    Jonathan, who arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Ouagadougou International Airport at 9.50am local time was received by the country’s interim Head of State, Lt-Col. Isaac Zida.

    He is accompanied by Mr. Nurudeen Mohammed, the Minister of State II for Foreign Affairs and some principal aides.

    Also at the airport to receive Jonathan was the Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Mr. David Bala, and other officials of the Embassy.

    The visiting Heads of State are billed to hold talks with Zida, opposition leaders, members of civil society organisations and other political stakeholders in Burkina Faso.

    As at the time of filing this report, Jonathan, Sall and Mahama were holding preliminary discussions behind closed doors at the Libya Hotels, venue of the mediation talks.

    They will later meet with other parties involved in the crisis.

    Compaore resigned and fled to Ivory Coast on Friday following mass protest in Ouagadougou.

    The protest was triggered by Compaore’s plan to amend the Constitution of Burkina Faso to pave way for him to contest for the Presidency again in next year’s elections after 27 years in power.

    On Saturday, the military seized power and named Zida, who was second in command of the Presidential Guard, as the new interim leader.

     

  • Obama to meet Sall, Koroma, two others

    Obama to meet Sall, Koroma, two others

    United States President Barack Obama will welcome four African leaders to Washington this month, the White House said Monday.

    Obama on March 28 will meet with the President of Senegal, Macky Sall; of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma; of Malawi, Joyce Banda; and the Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Jose Maria Pereira Neves.

    Spokesman Jay Carney said the leaders will discuss issues that include economic development and reinforcing democracy in sub-Saharan Africa.

    AFP reports that the multi-party meeting is not unprecedented as in late July 2011 Obama met with the presidents of Benin, Guinea, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

    Obama, the son of a Kenyan-born father and a US-born mother, has visited sub-Saharan Africa only once as president — he made a short trip to Ghana in July 2009.