Visit of the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dakar: Twice the Impact!
In the last 14 days SenGermany visited the Ambassador Bernhard Kampmann twice: on 14 August and on 21 August. First in his office in Dakar and thereafter in Berlin, when he paid a first visit to the Senegalese Ambassador Henri Antoine Turpin himself.
Both meetings focused on the preparation of the 1st German-Senegalese Economic Summit, which will be held on 8 November 2013 in Düsseldorf with support from the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Economic Affairs and in cooperation with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Düsseldorf and NRW.International.
SenGermany is certainly one of the first representatives of civil society having visited the Ambassador Bernhard Kampmann, since he submitted his credentials to the Senegalese President Macky Sall on 5 August 2013. The Ambassador Kampmann showed himself to be entirely open and willing to support the Initiative; he even provided us with addresses of further German Institutions like KfW and GIZ, which in his opinion should likewise be informed accordingly. On the occasion of the meeting, which we held with the Ambassador Kampmann in Berlin on 21 August, all topics raised in Dakar on 14 August were subjected to in-depth discussions. This opportunity was used to assure him that all measures had been taken for making sure that the above mentioned Institutions will not only be informed, but will actually attend the Economic Summit on 8 November 2013, as we had informed Mr. Georg Schäfer at GIZ in June 2013 already. Mr. Schäfer, who had worked for many years as Consultant at the Senegalese Ministry of Economy and Finance in Dakar, had already provided us with the names of his colleagues who are responsible for the relations with Senegal.
At the same time the Ambassador Kampmann assured us that, as far as the commitment of the private German industry is concerned, he will welcome us with open arms, as he had been employed in the private sector (Siemens) before he became a Diplomat. This matter is so close to his heart that he talked about it with President Macky Sall, when he handed his credentials over to him. "It is inexplicable to me why the German industry has so little presence in Senegal", said the Ambassador Kampmann. On the German side we hope that his appeal has not fallen on deaf ears.
Ibrahim Guèye
