Published on : 20/09/2022 – 08:58
This is one of the surprises of the new Senegalese government announced on Saturday September 17: the appointment of Oulimata Sarr to the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, replacing Amadou Hott. This is the first time a woman has held this position in the country. A very strategic portfolio, once morest the backdrop of the global economic crisis, and a challenge for the one who was until now regional director of UN Women for West and Central Africa, without political anchoring.
With our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac
« When she went to Touba, for the Mouride festival of Grand Magal, we said to ourselves that it was no coincidence, that she was in the countryside says a former colleague from UN Women. Some 48 hours later, Oulimata Sarr entered the government.
« She quickly rose through the ranks and really energized the organization », « it’s someone who moves the lines “, continues our interlocutor. ” Committed », « involved », « swing », « efficient “… Many people say to themselves “ admiring of his journey.
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After an early career in auditing at Ernst & Young, then a position as financial director of an airline in South Africa, Oulimata Sarr spent ten years at the International Finance Corporation, within the Bank group world, before joining the United Nations.
« She comes from another planet. International institutions and state management are not the same world », Estimates for his part a skeptic, surprised that Oulimata Sarr has taken the plunge. ” Will it be able to bring new life, while this government has a limited lifespan, in view of the presidential election scheduled for February 2024 ? asks an observer.
The Minister of the Economy will in any case work closely with a man from the seraglio, but also new to the government: Mamadou Moustapha Ba, in charge of Finance and Budget.
