Tributes pour in for Senegal's Senghor
2001-12-22 19:48
Dakar - Life was moving "in slow motion" as Senegal mourned the death of former president Leopold Sedar Senghor and waited for his body to be returned to "the kingdom of his childhood", Le Soleil daily wrote on Saturday.
The paper said that the body of Senghor, who died on Thursday in France, aged 95, would arrive in Senegal on December 27 or 28.
Citing Adrien Senghor, a member of Senghor's family, Senegalese Radio and Television (RTS) announced on Saturday that the funeral ceremony for the deceased statesman would be held on December 29 in Dakar.
On Thursday, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade announced a
15-day period of national mourning for his former political
adversary and plans for a national funeral.
Several cultural and political events have been cancelled
because of the period of mourning, and there is some doubt as to
whether Senegal's sporting calendar would be maintained in its
entirety over the next two weeks.
Senghor's compatriots are now wondering if their country's first president would be buried in Joal, where he was born, or in Bel-Air cemetery in the capital, Dakar, where several members of his family are interred.
Meanwhile, tributes to the former Senegalese head of state and
acclaimed poet continue to pour in.
In a telegram sent on Saturday to Wade, Democratic Republic of
Congo President Joseph Kabila called Senghor "an unparalleled
eulogist of the black condition" who "left us with the difficult
task of completely assuming our black identity".
Kabila praised Senghor for "building modern-day Senegal and
giving blacks a sense of pride".
Guinean President Lansana Conte said in a message of condolence sent to Wade that "the father of Senegal's independence" was "a great statesman and man of culture who devoted his entire life to African unity and the promotion of a universal civilisation".
On Friday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised Senghor,
calling him "a powerful champion of African dignity and an advocate of dialogue among civilisations".
Senghor was Senegal's first president from 1960 to 1980, the
initial 20 years of independence from French rule.
"He stood out as a leader committed to peace, justice,
development and education, and laid out the foundation for what was to become Senegal's tradition of democratic and peaceful transfer of power," said Annan. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA