The population came out en masse yesterday to receive and bid farewell to the visiting Senegalese President, Macky Sall.

The Presidential wing of the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport was yesterday, November, 28, a point of attraction for the population of Mfoundi and that of the Mefou Afamba Divisions that sacrificed precious time and came out in their numbers to give the visiting Senegalese President, Macky Sall a befitting welcome as well as a well deserved farewell. It was exactly 1:30 pm when the Airbus carrier, code name, Pointe Sarene, transporting President Sall touched down at Nsimalen. On hand to welcome him on behalf of the Head of State President Paul Biya, was the Prime minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang. Also accompanying him at the foot of the plane were some members of government, the Head of the Diplomatic Corps and the Senegalese Ambassador to Cameroon.

After the soothing handing of the bouquet of flowers to President Sall by little Messi Samira of the Les Coccinelles School, the President proceeded with the greeting of the constituted corps and handshake of heads of various Senegalese delegations in Cameroon before taking recess at the Presidential Lounge where he had a brief discussion with the Prime Minister. All these happened amidst song and dance at the courtyard of the Presidential Lounge. The Senegalese delegation of the Alliance pour la Republique (APR-Yakaar) of Yaounde was present with messages of support to their Head of State. Prominent was the message assuring President Sall of their support for his project of emergence and the fact that the Diaspora remains a region of Senegal.

Departure  

The plane transporting President Macky Sall took off at exactly 5:45 pm but this was preceded by a stopover discussion with the Prime Minister, an interview with the press and some audiences. In his response to a question from the press, he said he found it necessary for a stopover in Cameroon to express his fraternal and friendly greetings to President Biya to crystallise the friendship that has always existed between his country Senegal and Cameroon.

The Tête-à-tête with President Biya was occasion for him to discuss burning issues in the continent, notably the fight against terrorism and its consequences and to present his condolences and that of the Senegalese government following the tragic train accident and the victims of the terrorist attacks. Today (yesterday), he said, was a technical visit but he promised to come back in an official or friendly visit in future.

The Prime Minister, Head of Government who accompanied him to the airport had as collaborators, the Minister of State for Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso, the Minister of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey, the Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi and the Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in Charge of Commonwealth Affairs, Dion Ngute. Other top ranking officials were equally present.