The Senegalese president addressed the nation on the eve of the country’s 62nd independence anniversary. While Muslims began Ramadan this Sunday, April 3 and Christians are in the middle of Lent, the Head of State insisted on the issues of food prices and food self-sufficiency.
After two years without a celebration due to Covid-19, a ceremony to take up arms followed by a military parade ” small format in the Place de l’Indépendance will commemorate this Monday, April 4, the 62nd anniversary of Senegal. But President Macky Sall’s speech was above all a call for rallying, in a context of rising prices linked to the war in Ukraine.
” Considering the high risk of shortages and soaring prices due to the global crisis, I call for a general mobilization to increase and further enhance our agricultural, livestock and fishing products,” did he declare.
►Read also: Senegal: Ramadan begins in a context of generalized price increases
” Take up the challenge of food self-sufficiency
The Senegalese president also detailed having lowered the prices of basic necessities and increased the local rice subsidy to help households. “But to be protected from the vagaries of the international situation, we must show resilience by winning the battle for food sovereignty as quickly as possible. These are massive investments that the state continues to devote to the modernization and diversification of the livestock, fishing and agricultural sectors. Meeting the challenge of food self-sufficiency also facilitates exchanges between production areas and markets. »
While this independence day focuses on the defense and security forces and national resilience, Macky Sall also insisted on the pursuit of ” army operational capacity building program “so that it is ready to ensure the defense of the national territory” in a turbulent and uncertain global context. »
►Read also: Senegal: the army takes stock of its operation in Casamance