Senegal PM urges end to xenophobic rhetoric

Senegal's Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo denounced rising xenophobic rhetoric on Tuesday and said foreigners in the country must follow residency rules.

Speaking to the National Assembly as he presented his government programme, Lo said Senegal "cannot be a country that is open, with citizens living all over the world... while allowing xenophobic rhetoric to flourish here".

He said such rhetoric ran counter to Senegal's values and customs. "We are all of mixed heritage. We all have relatives across the sub-region. Let us put an end to this stigmatisation, it does us no credit," he said.

Lo also said there was an "urgent need" for foreigners in Senegal to comply with the rules governing their stay. He announced plans to tighten border controls by upgrading existing electronic systems.

NGOs including Amnesty International Senegal said last month that xenophobic rhetoric had increased in the media and on social media and urged Senegal to act. Other organisations have denounced online threats of intimidation against the Guinean community, which has lived and worked in Senegal for decades.

Interior Minister Mouhamadou Makhtar Cisse also condemned the rise of xenophobic rhetoric late last month.

The debate comes amid wider tensions over migration in parts of Africa. In Kenya, authorities on Tuesday gave foreign workers 90 days to regularise their status before immigration rules are "enforced firmly".