As part of his 48-hour working visit to Ouagadougou, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko was received this Friday afternoon by Burkina Faso’s transitional President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, for high-level talks focused on security challenges and bilateral cooperation.
During the audience, Mr. Sonko conveyed a strong message of solidarity and support from Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and the Senegalese people to the government and people of Burkina Faso, who continue to face severe security threats.
“We came to deliver a message of unwavering support to President Traoré, his government, and the people of Burkina Faso in their fight against the terrorism that has been imposed upon them,” Sonko declared.
He emphasised Senegal’s willingness to explore all avenues of collaboration to help confront these shared challenges.
Stressing the transnational nature of the threat, the Senegalese premier warned that no country in West Africa would be spared if terrorism continues to spread unchecked across the region. “This gangrene knows no borders,” he said, calling for a regional approach to security.
This visit also coincides with the upcoming inauguration of the Thomas Sankara Mausoleum, an event Mr. Sonko described as an opportunity to honour one of Africa’s great patriots, whose legacy continues to inspire pan-African, patriotic, and sovereignty-driven struggles.
Mr. Sonko’s trip takes place in a geopolitical context shaped by the January 2025 withdrawal of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Notably, in October 2024, during a visit to Bamako, Sonko had publicly stated that “no one will use Senegal to destabilize Mali”, reaffirming Dakar’s firm stance in defending regional stability and respecting national sovereignty. At that time, he had met with Malian President Assimi Goïta and then-Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga, and paid tribute to Malian soldiers who died in combat.
In April 2025, President Diomaye Faye reiterated Senegal’s readiness to mediate between ECOWAS and the AES, while respecting the sovereignty of each state. Along with Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, he had been tasked by ECOWAS in July 2024 to lead negotiations aimed at preserving regional unity.
TE/ac/sf/lb/as/APA