Tycoon Sarr Says Senegal’s Refusal To Back Macky Is ‘Unpatriotic’

In a scathing statement, prominent businessman Tahirou Sarr has denounced the lack of support from Senegalese authorities for Macky Sall’s candidacy for an international post, seeing it as a major inconsistency and a step backward for pan-African principles.

Sarr did not mince words in denouncing what he considers a serious inconsistency on the part of the authorities: “The Senegalese government cannot preach pan-Africanism by day and bury it by night. Refusing to support a son of the soil for a global position is to betray its own rhetoric. At this level of responsibility, it’s no longer a mistake: it’s political pettiness. A Senegalese in a position to lead the UN should be a source of national and continental pride, not a diplomatic embarrassment. It’s a repudiation of Pan-Africanism,” he asserted.

Sarr said there’s “a profound disconnect between the ambitions displayed on the African stage and the actions taken in diplomatic reality” by the Senegalese government.

He said refusing to support a compatriot engaged in an international competition amounts to betraying the very principles of pan-Africanism. “By distancing itself from this candidacy, this government embodies a superficial pan-Africanism: strong speeches, weak actions. Senegal deserves better than this hesitant and contradictory stance. This position is a blatant inconsistency. It proves the cosmetic pan-Africanism that I have always denounced. And let’s be clear: it’s a disgrace. A son of Senegal who competes outside the country is a source of national pride. To deny him is to deny the nation itself,” he said.

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