Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye met in Nouakchott on Thursday, September 17, 2026, with Sheikh Abdallah bin Bayyah, chairman of the United Arab Emirates Fatwa Council and president of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace, to discuss conflict prevention, regional stability, and religious dialogue across Africa.
Held on the sidelines of bilateral talks with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, the meeting focused on countering extremist narratives through faith-based diplomacy and community mediation.
Sheikh bin Bayyah, who also heads the Nouakchott-based African Conference for the Promotion of Peace, emphasized the role of African religious scholars and intellectuals in mitigating intercommunal tensions and advocating peaceful coexistence. The high-level consultation aligns with President Faye’s broader foreign policy framework of engaging continental thought leaders and religious institutions to address root causes of instability, safeguard youth populations, and foster long-term economic development across West Africa and the Sahel.
TE/lb/abj/APA