Macky Sall: « Why I spoke to Putin »

The head of state revealed to the French newspaper L’Humanité the reasons why he spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, about the war in Ukraine. He also justified Dakar’s position during the UN vote on the resolution condemning Moscow’s military offensive.

On Wednesday, March 9, President Macky Sall spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Moscow had launched less than a fortnight earlier the invasion of Ukraine. The initiative was head of state, who assumed since February 1, the chairmanship of the African Union. The meeting lasted half an hour, according to the Senegalese leader. « He took the time to listen to me and also explained his version of the explanatory factors of the crisis, indicating that he remains open to dialogue, » said Macky Sall in an interview with the French newspaper L’Humanité.

The President of the Republic has no illusions: he knows that the war between the Russians and Ukrainians will not stop just after a simple phone call to the head of the Kremlin. « The AU does not claim to silence weapons, but when the fate of humanity is at stake, we all have the obligation to call for peace, because we have a common humanity. That was the meaning of my initiative. »

« Major crisis »

Precisely, the fate of humanity is indeed at stake right now in Ukraine. This crisis is major in the sense that it directly involves a great power and makes other great powers react, both of which have the greatest military capabilities in the world, including nuclear weapons, » said Macky Sall. We can imagine the catastrophic consequences that a confrontation between these powers would have on the whole world. It is therefore the duty of all to get involved to stop the conflict and to find a negotiated solution.

The head of state feels all the more compelled to get involved because the consequences of the Ukrainian crisis are likely to be felt in Africa more than elsewhere. « (The) repercussions can only be harmful, with the dizzying rise in the price of hydrocarbons and other essential products, including food, while the world is still suffering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, » points out the current chairman of the AU. Naturally, it is the weakest economies, which lack the necessary resilience mechanisms, that will bear the brunt of the economic and social consequences of war.

« Let every country respect our choice »

During the interview with L’Humanité, Macky Sall returned to the position of Senegal during the UN vote on the resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Senegalese President assumes the neutrality of his country on this issue. This choice « is dictated by our own national imperatives », justifies the Head of State. He explains: « When a situation of this nature breaks out, our country determines itself according to its own evaluation of the facts, its internal and external dynamics, and according to the evolution of the situation.

It is following this logic that Dakar, a few days after abstaining from condemning or not the Russian invasion of Ukraine, voted in favor of the resolution of the Human Rights Council calling for the respect of these. « We respect the choice of each country. In the same way, we expect every country to respect ours, » concluded Macky Sall.