Senegal PM Ousmane Sonko criticises French military bases in territory

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Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. PHOTO | REUTERS

Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko raised the possibility of closing French military bases in the West African country on Thursday in a wide-ranging speech that also touched on the euro-backed CFA franc currency, oil and gas deals and LGBTQ rights.

Sonko, a firebrand politician who gained power when his hand-picked presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye won a decisive victory in March, is known for criticising perceived overreach by France in its former colony.