An auction in the French city of Caen of jewellery and other items belonging to Senegal’s first president, Léopold Sédar Senghor, has been delayed, with the government in Dakar entering negotiations to buy them directly.
Senghor, who led Senegal for 20 years after independence from France in 1960, and was a pioneer of the anti-colonialist movement, Négritude, chose to retire with his French wife Colette to France rather than in Africa. He died in 2001.
According to the BBC, Senghor’s belongings have been brought to auction by a private seller who has not been named.
Senegal’s current president, Macky Sall, urged the country’s culture minister and the embassy in Paris to hold discussions with the auctioneers.
Auctioneer Solène Laine said negotiations would now be held with state officials over the next few weeks, adding that if they failed to reach an agreement, the auction would go ahead in December.