Senegal Needs US Troops to Stay, Says Senegalese Foreign Minister

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (C,L) and Senegal's Economy, Planning and International Cooperation minister Amadou Hott (C,R) pose with (from L) the President of Weldy-Lamont Patrick Hennelly, ABD Group CEO John Nevergole, General Electric CEO Farid Fezoua, U.S. Ambassador to Senegal Tulinabo Mushingi, Senegalese Ambassador to the United States Mansour Kane, the Director General for Ageroute Ibrahima Ndiaye, an unidentified person, the Director General of Senelec Pape Biteye, and the President of Bechtel Stuart Jones after they signed a memorandum of understanding in Dakar on Feb. 16, 2020. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / Pool/ AFP via Getty Images

Senegal’s President Macky Sall and Foreign Minister Amadou Ba have expressed their desire that the United States will continue its military presence in the country to fight terrorism, amid growing concerns that American troops could be withdrawn from the region, Ba said at a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Feb. 16.

Ba said Senegal is determined to bring stability to the region and believes that African countries should first use their resources to fight terrorism.