DAKAR: Senegal said on Wednesday it would recall its ambassador in Qatar and expressed its “active solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries which have cut ties with Qatar.
“Senegal has decided, from this day Wednesday 7 June 2017, to recall for consultations its ambassador in Qatar,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Senegal’s neighbor Mauritania, a member of the Arab League, severed ties with Qatar on Tuesday while Gabon also condemned it.
Karim Wade, the son of Senegal’s former president, has been living in Qatar for nearly a year since his release from prison where he served time for corruption charges.
Ryan backs Trump stance
Meanwhile, the top lawmaker in the US House of Representatives is backing President Donald Trump’s stance on Qatar after Trump sided with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.
House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters in Washington Wednesday that the US has an important military base in Qatar. But, Ryan said: “I do think that we should put some pressure on Qatar” because “I think they can improve their foreign policy, let’s just put it that way.”
Kuwait emir visits UAE
Separately, Kuwait’s emir has met two top officials in the UAE to try and mediate the growing crisis over Qatar. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah arrived in Dubai on Wednesday. His visit comes after he traveled to Saudi Arabia earlier to meet with King Salman.
The state-run WAM news agency said Sheikh Sabah met with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who also serves as prime minister and vice president of the UAE. The WAM report gave no details about their discussions.
Later, the Kuwaiti ruler left the UAE en route to Qatar, a Kuwaiti diplomat told Reuters.
S&P cuts Qatar’s credit rating
In a major development, S&P Global Ratings cut Qatar’s credit rating by one notch to AA- and put it on watch for further downgrades. “We believe this will exacerbate Qatar’s external vulnerabilities and could put pressure on economic growth and fiscal metrics,” the ratings agency said.
“At this stage, we note that there are numerous uncertainties regarding Qatar’s response, the extent to which these measures will be imposed, and their longevity,” said S&P Global Ratings.
Iranian FM in Turkey
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Turkey on Wednesday, saying there was a need for close discussions with Turkish officials on “worrying” developments in the region.
Zarif was scheduled to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu for talks on bilateral and regional issues, Turkish officials said.
“There are worrying developments for us that are taking place in the region,” Hurriyet newspaper quoted Zarif as telling reporters as he arrived at his hotel in Ankara. “There is a need for a close exchange of views with Turkey concerning these developments.”