The Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, presided over the weekly Council of Ministers meeting at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
At the beginning of his address, the President of the Republic extended his warm congratulations to all the deputies of the 15th legislature, installed on Monday, December 2, 2024. He particularly congratulated the new President of the National Assembly, Mr. Malick NDIAYE, outgoing Minister of Infrastructure, Land, and Air Transport, and the other members of the parliamentary institution's Bureau. He asked the Prime Minister and the members of the Government to work closely with the National Assembly to strengthen the influence of Senegalese democracy, as well as the dialogue between institutions, which is essential for the optimal implementation of public policies.
Following the Government reshuffle, the Head of State congratulated the Prime Minister, Mr. Ousmane SONKO, who continues his mission as Head of Government, Mr. Abass FALL, the new Minister of Labor, Employment, and Relations with Institutions, and Mr. Yankhoba DIEME, the new Minister of Infrastructure and Land and Air Transport, as well as all the Ministers and Secretaries of State confirmed in their positions.
The State is entering a crucial phase of governance in Senegal. This period of recovery and national reconstruction requires listening, proximity, pragmatism, effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, and exemplary conduct in public action, in light of the temporal objectives of the national Transformation agenda towards 2050. Therefore, the President of the Republic has urged the Government to focus on the essentials, to remain a Government of solutions, consensus, and results in addressing the needs and aspirations of the population, particularly the youth, the primary targets of public programs and projects.
The Head of State revisited the ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the "Thiaroye Massacre," which were exceptionally successful both nationally and internationally. He expressed his gratitude to the Heads of State and foreign delegations who participated in the events. He congratulated the Prime Minister and his Government, the Commemoration Committee led by Professor Mamadou DIOUF and its members, the Armed Forces, and all those who, from near or far, contributed remarkably to the success of the organization of this first commemoration. This painful event reminds us of the need to restore historical truth about the facts now enshrined by the consensual term: "Thiaroye Massacre." To revive the memory of these valiant African tirailleurs, he reminded the Government of his decision to institute December 1st each year in the republican calendar as the day of commemoration of the "Massacre of the Tirailleurs of Thiaroye 44."
In the same spirit, he asked the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Armed Forces to propose a regulatory framework related to the Thiaroye Museum-Memory-Cemetery.
He also invited the Government to strengthen the role of the Commemoration Committee in its missions of research and educational dissemination of the collective memory of this major sequence in the continent's history.
Reviewing the assessment and prospects of the national "Daara" day, the President of the Republic congratulated the Minister of National Education, religious leaders, and the "daara" community in all its components for the perfect organization and success of the third edition of the national "Daara" day. He asked the Minister of National Education and all stakeholders to prepare for the upcoming National Assizes on "daara" to implement a new consensual roadmap from 2025 to establish the development of "daara" in Senegal on all fronts.
Addressing the issue of the full implementation of the Pastoral Code and the revival of livestock farming, the Head of State asked the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock to relaunch the organization of the National Livestock Day. This national reference event should remain a moment of privileged consultation and dialogue between the State and livestock actors, as well as an inclusive instance for evaluating and accelerating the transformation of the sub-sector. He invited the Minister in charge of Livestock, in collaboration with the Minister of Finance and Budget, to relaunch the financing of the livestock sub-sector with a significant reinforcement of resources and operational mechanisms of the Stabling Fund (FONSTAB).
Finally, the President of the Republic mentioned the working visit to Senegal by the President of the Gabonese Republic, Brigadier General Brice Oligui NGUEMA, accompanied by a large ministerial delegation. Several areas for strengthening cooperation and partnerships between our two countries were particularly highlighted (education, training, security and defense, private sector development, etc.). He asked the Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs to ensure the coordination of these priority dossiers with the concerned Ministers.
At the beginning of his address, the Prime Minister thanked the President of the Republic for his renewed confidence in him and the members of the Government. This is a clear testament to the quality of the work carried out under his guidance during the first eight months of his tenure. He wished the new Minister of Labor, Employment, and Relations with Institutions every success.
After highlighting the imperative need for the Government to be constantly guided by a results-oriented management culture, the Prime Minister called on the Ministers and Secretaries of State to tackle the immense challenges associated with the implementation of Senegal's 2050 systemic transformation agenda. In this context, the Prime Minister asked the Minister, Secretary General of the Government, to coordinate the finalization of his General Policy Statement, which he intends to present to the new National Assembly as soon as possible.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister urged the Ministers to start the 2025 budget year by prioritizing the most urgent issues. To this end, each ministry is instructed to develop an action plan for the first half of 2025.
In this context, the Prime Minister reminded the members of the Government of the importance of perfect planning for the major deadlines of their respective departmental work programs. He also requested an evaluation of the available human resources compared to the performance targets of their ministries.
Finally, the Prime Minister informed the Council about the work plan of the Commemoration Committee for the Massacre of the Senegalese Tirailleurs at Thiaroye on December 1, 1944, to be completed by April 2025. This will coincide with the presentation of a white paper to the President of the Republic. In this process, the Prime Minister emphasized the crucial importance of conducting verification work, using appropriate technological tools, on declared or presumed burial sites based on the research and testimonies collected.
UNDER LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY TEXTS, The Council examined and adopted:
The Draft Amending Finance Law 2024;
The Draft Initial Finance Law 2025.
The Minister of Vocational Training, Government Spokesperson, Amadou Moustapha Njekk SARRE