Senegal: Sall justifies firing energy minister says policy not affected

Senegalese President Macky Sall has defended his decision to fire ex-Energy Minister, Thierno Alassane Sall, saying the sacking did not alter government plans for the sector.

Sall said political actors could change but the most important thing was that the policy remained the same. President Sall spoke to Africanews in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the 2017 World Economic Forum on Africa recently held in Durban, South Africa.

‘‘You know appointment of ministers is a governance strategy put in place by the head of State. Some go while others arrive, this has no significance on the strategy or policy which however, remains constant.

‘‘The actors may change, but the essential thing is the implementation of the defined strategy.
It is a plan Senegal for an emergent Senegal. The policies have been drawn by the President of the Republic and implemented by the government,’‘ he said.

The presidency announced the dismissal of the minister earlier this month without stating a reason for the sudden move. Thierno Alassane Sall, an aeronautical engineer by training is not related to the president but is among his longtime collaborators, he had been in the post since 2015.

Senegal is on the verge of a potential oil and gas boom, as newly discovered fields off its Atlantic coastline are expected to begin production within the next decade.

Companies including British-based Cairn Energy and Dallas-based Kosmos Energy have reported a string of successful finds in recent years that could transform Senegal’s agricultural economy.

The energy portfolio will now be managed by Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne, the statement said.