Burkina Faso president accuse African leaders of ‘beggary’

By Fatma Esma Arslan

DAKAR, Senegal (AA) - Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore accused African leaders on Friday of "beggary" at the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Traore, 35, who came to power in a coup and became the world's youngest leader, thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for deciding to send free grain to African countries and expressed that Africa should become self-sufficient in food by the next summit.

“My generation does not understand this: how can Africa, which has so much wealth, become the poorest continent in the world today? And why African leaders travel the world to beg,” he said.

Responding to Traore, Senegalese President Macky Sall said: "African leaders did not come here to beg.”

“We are working for cooperation based on equal conditions between the countries. We say the same thing in St. Petersburg or in Washington,” he said.

Drawing attention to the struggle that every generation has to face, Sall stated: "Our task is to solve the problem of terrorism that has ravaged our continent and to ensure the development of the continent."

*Writing by Merve Berker