Skip to content

Africans in Italy: Senegalese Immigrant M’backè Sarr to return to hometown, vies for presidency

Africans in Italy: Senegalese immigrant to Italy, M’backè Sarr, 51, is an entrepreneur in Bergamo who is running for elections in his hometown in Senegal.

The entrepreneur said that he wants his children to be able to stay and find work in Senegal, in their land.

When interviewed by Corriere M’backè Sarr said that he was looking for a wife because it is necessary that the president have a family. The nature of people from Bergamo is one that prioritises work work work and so he had not thought about a family.

Senegal is to hold its presidential elections in 2024 (the semi-presidential system, with a five-year mandate, saw the reconfirmation of Macky Sall, leader of the Alliance for the Republic in 2019).

For M’backè Sarr the electoral campaign has already began and he will be running as the leader of a movement he founded whose name he is yet to reveal to the public.

He added that Senegal only has two large parties the socialist and he democratic one n which he feels he has never recognised himself in any of them.

In January he plans to do things right and hence he will be going to Senegal for the first meetings with the supporters and then he will start a Europe tour which will have the people of Senegal to him in a drastic way.

READ MORE: Africans in Italy: Gambian Paboy Bojang’s amazing story, from refugee to elite designer

Court rules refugees in Germany not allowed to be sent back to Italy

When asked what he plans to do to change the country, M’backè Sarr pointed out that Senegal has no stable health system as it has been deteriorated through corruption and emigration.

“I wanted to be an electronic engineer, but when it came to starting university in Canada my family had no more money to let me study. So I asked my brother who works in Bergamo for help. Come, we can do it, he told me.”

When he arrived in Italy he did a variety of jobs that slowly built his role to entrepreneurship. He ended up employing about 50 employees offering various services but above all portage.

The business was started to help his compatriots and those in need.

M’backè Sarr said his slogan is ‘we are one’ which is a representation of being united and being something great.