Babacar Diagne presented his credentials as Senegal’s ambassador to the United States to President Barack Obama on November 18, 2014. It’s the second ambassadorial posting for Diagne. 

    Diagne was born April 16, 1951. In 1973 He received his baccalaureat degree and went on to earn an arts degree from the University of Dakar in 1976 and an advanced degree of pedagogy at the “Ecole Normale Superieure in Dakar in 1978. He then went to northern France, at the Ecole Superieure de Journalisme de Lille, where he earned a journalism degree in 1981.

    He returned to Africa and worked as a reporter and editor between 1981and 1990 then he completed a Training Session at the University of Maine (USA) on management and media. He was then appointed Director of the Television Services until 2000. In 2000, Diagne was named director of Le label de L’Ogooué communication company in Libreville, Gabon. He returned to Senegal in 2002 as a Special Advisor to the President in charge of communications.

    In 2006, Diagne was appointed director general of Senegal’s state radio and TV service, RTS. in 2011 was even given an extension from mandatory retirement. Diagne’s legacy at RTS includes putting on popular show TGP where he was an anchor. He also worked to ensure that the 2010 World Cup would be broadcast in his country.

    In November 2012, Diagne left his position at RTS and was appointed ambassador to the Gambia, a nation almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. Political analysts said ambassador Diagne contributed tremendously in fostering relations between The Gambia and Senegal in the fields of security, religious and cultural affairs. He also donated commodities to the prisons Department for inmates. He was the first Senegalese ambassador to The Gambia to visit the famous prison Mile 2. He served there until being sent to Washington in 2014.

    Diagne is married and has three children. He speaks French and English.