Visiting French President Jacques Chirac has pledged to restore a century-old bridge in the Senegalese city of St. Louis.
Thousands of people cheered Mr. Chirac and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, as they visited the city Thursday, once the capital of France's West African colonial empire.
Mr. Chirac said France would mobilize all necessary means to rehabilitate the bridge, which is classified as a United Nations world heritage site.
Later, Mr. Chirac inspected French troops based in the area.
He arrived in Senegal on Wednesday, marking the first visit by a French head of state in a decade. On Friday, he is scheduled to attend the opening of an agricultural conference in Dakar.
Some information for this story provided by AFP and AP.