July 19, 2022—South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Monday afternoon received his Senegalese counterparts Mack Sall who doubles as the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and reiterated his country’s commitment to cemented ties with the West African country.
Below are his full remarks to the media.
STATEMENT BY H.E. THE PRESIDENT DURING THE VISIT OF SENEGALESE PRESIDENT TO JUBA
First of all, Your Excellency, on behalf of the people and the government of South Sudan, it is my pleasure and honor to welcome Your Excellency Mack Sall, the President of the Republic of Senegal to Juba.
We are so privileged to host you here today as you are the second High Profile Head of State across Sahel Region to visit South Sudan after the visit of His Majesty the King of Morocco in 2017. Your Excellency’s visit is special in many ways given the similarities between the people of South Sudan and Senegalese people.
One look at the Senegalese and the South Sudanese people reveals a deep connection. The great scholar, Cheikh Anta Diop, explains this connection by documenting the linguistic similarities between the Senegalese and other Africans and their common roots in the Nile during ancient Kush.
Others have explored this connection from an archeological, anthropological, and historical standpoint. These lines of inquiry establish that Senegal and South Sudan of modern and ancient times are kindred nations.
The bilateral relationship established now between our two countries resurrects these ties and invites us to deepen cultural and economic exchange and political cooperation. In this way, we can advance African integration between these two countries, one firmly centered in North and East Africa and the other firmly centered in West Africa.
Our bilateral relations will stand on the shoulders of people like Cheikh Anta Diop, who knew the importance of understanding who we are, we come from, and what unifies us above and beyond politics. Our relationship is not a short-term calculation but a profound kinship relation founded upon African principles that stem from a long memory of where we came from and a vision of the future.
Thank you,
Salva Kiir Mayardit
President of the Republic of South Sudan
Republic of South Sudan
Juba.
