Africa

Senegal PM Sonko declines invitation for first official trip to France

Ousmane Sonko was invited to be the guest of honour at the forum organised by French investment bank, BPI France.

Newstimehub

Newstimehub

10 Sep, 2025

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Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko says he will not attend an investor forum in France due later this month despite an invitation by organisers, citing scheduling constraints.

Sonko was invited to be the guest of honour at the September 23 forum in Paris organised by French investment bank, BPI France. It would have been his first official trip to France as Senegal’s prime minister.

“Due to a scheduling impediment, the Prime Minister will be unable to honor this invitation, which he would have liked to attend in person,” Sonko’s office said in a statement.

He will instead be represented at the event by a member of the government, it added.

Other foreign trips

However the prime minister announced two other foreign trips later this month.

He will be at the United Arab Emirates this week for a four-day official visit where he is scheduled to meet President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Sonko will then travel to Italy for a meeting with the Senegalese diaspora in Europe.