SENGHOR; CONFERENCE HALL; DELEGATES.




Initials AB/V/AW/MH



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Background: PRESIDENT LEOPOLD-SEDAR SENGHOR OF SENEGAL, SPEAKING AT HIS COUNTRY'S SEVENTH CONGRESS OF THE SENEGALESE PROGRESSIVE UNION, REJECTED THE DIVISION BETWEEN EAST AND WEST AND BETWEEN SOCIALISM AND DEMOCRACY.

HE TOLD THE CONGRESS THAT THESE MODELS WERE THE FRUITS OF DEVELOPED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.

AND HE SAID: "ONE CANNOT AS SUCH TRANSPOSE THEM TO AFRICA. THE AFRICAN COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE DONE SO, OR SIMPLY TRIED TO, HAVE FAILED", HE SAID.

SENEGAL'S WAY WAS THAT OF DEMOCRATIC, DECENTRALISED SOCIALISM AT A HUMAN LEVEL, HE SAID.

PRESIDENT SENGHOR SAID THAT AGRICULTURE REMAINED THE TOP PRIORITY IN SENEGAL'S THIRD FOUR-YEAR ECONOMIC PLAN, WHICH BEGAN LAST JULY.

OTHER OBJECTIVES INCLUDED SENEGALISATION OF PERSONNEL IN PRIVATE ENTERPRISES, AND FURTHER INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE RURAL SECTOR AND INDUSTRY, HE SAID.

DURING THE MEETING PRESIDENT SENGHOR ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT HEADS OF STATE OF THE ORGANISATION OF SENEGAL RIVER STATES (OERS) WILL MEET IN DAKAR DURING JANUARY.

THE OERS HAD BEEN INACTIVE AS A RESULT OF QUARRELS BETWEEN MALI AND GUINEA FOLLOWING THE MILITARY COUP IN MALI LAST YEAR. THE OTHER MEMBERS STATES ARE SENEGAL AND MAURITANIA.

M. SENGHOR, WHO IS SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE SENEGALESE PROGRESSIVE UNION ALSO TOLD THE PARTY CONGRESS THAT WHEN THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL U THANT VISITS SENEGAL FROM JANUARY 2 - 4 HE WOULD ASK THAT THE UNITED NATIONS FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION (FAO) ORGANISE A CONFERENCE TO REGULATE FISHING IN THE ATLANTIC.