Senegal inaugurated Africa’s youngest elected leader as president on Tuesday, as the 44-year-old and previously little-known Bassirou Diomaye Faye completed a dramatic ascent from prison to palace within weeks.
His Excellency Bassirou Diomaye Faye was today been sworn in as Senegal’s new president following his victory in their recently held elections.
His campaign was centered on dealing with corruption and managing the country’s natural resources following the high unemployment rate of many Senegalese.
Hours later, Ousmane Sonko, the popular opposition figure who helped catapult him to victory, was named as the country’s new prime minister.
President Faye, who was in prison was released barely two weeks to the elections on March 24 along with his mentor, Ousmane Sonko, after a political amnesty was granted them by former president Macky Sall. Before the political amnesty was granted them, the country had experienced at state of unrest for several months upon the arrest of Faye and Sonko. This led to protests that left several dozens killed with about a 1,000 people jailed. Despite the uncertainties about the smooth running of the elections, the country has proven that it has a stable democracy.
Prior to the elections, Faye declared his assets in his quest to demonstrate transparency to the people and encouraged the other candidates to follow suit. His assets include: a house in Dakar, a piece of land in his hometown and an estimated sum of about $6,600 in his bank account.
The founder of Senegal’s Think Tank Afrikajom Centre Alioune Tine, has stated that the first challenge President Faye will face is the formation of his government. He further said, “This will be the first concrete message he sends to the Senegalese people. The size, diversity and profiles will be analyzed with a fine-tooth comb, to see if they meet the demand for a break with the past.
Several Senegalese people have also said that Sonko is likely to play a prominent role in President Faye’s government.
Faye’s swearing in as president makes him the youngest elected president in Africa at age 44.
Last month’s election tested Senegal’s reputation as a stable democracy in West Africa, a region rocked in recent years by coups and attempted coups. Both Faye and Sonko were released from prison less than two weeks before the vote following a political amnesty announced by outgoing President Macky Sall.
Their arrests had sparked months of protests and concerns that Sall would seek a third term in office despite term limits. Rights groups said dozens were killed and about 1,000 were jailed. In his first speech as president, Faye remembered those killed and arrested during the protests and promised to deliver greater sovereignty for Senegal while working to build prosperity.
In the new president’s words; “I am aware that the results of the elections express a profound desire for systemic change,” he said. “Through my election, the Senegalese people have committed to building a sovereign, just and prosperous Senegal in a progressing Africa.”
This is the first elected office for Faye, a former tax inspector. His rise has reflected widespread frustration among Senegal’s youth with the country’s direction — a common sentiment across Africa, which has the world’s youngest population and a number of leaders widely accused of clinging to power for decades.
“It’s the culmination of a long struggle for democracy and the rule of law,” said Aissata Sagna, a 39-year-old factory worker who worked on Faye’s campaign. “This is a day of celebration for us, even if we have lost young people killed during the demonstrations.”
Unemployment rates are high. The war in Ukraine has helped drive up the price of food and energy. Like residents of other former French colonies, Senegalese are increasingly disaffected with France, often accused of exploiting its longstanding ties with West Africa.
Faye campaigned on promises to clean up corruption. Ahead of the election, he released a declaration of his assets and called on other candidates to do the same. It listed a home in Dakar and land outside the capital and in his small hometown. His bank accounts totaled roughly $6,600. A practicing Muslim, Faye has two wives, both of whom were present on Tuesday.
Allies are closely watching Faye’s economic policies following his promise to improve the management of natural resources. Senegal has made new oil and gas discoveries in recent years, but the population has yet to see any real benefit. Analysts warn, however, that renegotiating deals could turn investors off.
Faye on Tuesday offered reassurance that change would not come at the expense of Senegal’s reputation as a stable democracy in a troubled region.
“In this work of building a new Senegal, I shall work tirelessly to preserve peace and national cohesion,” he said. “I bear in mind that our most precious resource remains our country’s political stability.” He said.
The new president was little known until Sonko, who came third in the previous election in 2019, named him to run in his place after being barred from the election for a prior conviction.
Sonko, a former tax inspector, like the president, has promised to deliver greater transparency and sovereignty for Senegal. In his first speech as prime minister, he promised to deliver change.
In Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s words; “We’ll give it everything we’ve got. We will spare no effort to achieve what we have promised the Senegalese: a break with the past, progress and definitive change in the country,” Sonko said in a speech from the presidential palace broadcast live on local television late at night.
Faye was arrested for alleged defamation last year, while Sonko faced a number of charges, including a prolonged legal battle that started when he was accused of rape in 2021. He was acquitted of the rape charges but was convicted of corrupting youths and sentenced to two years in prison last year. Sonko’s supporters say his legal troubles were part of a government effort to derail his candidacy.
While Sall eventually ruled out running for a third term, he abruptly postponed the election in February with only weeks to go, triggering another wave of protests. That move was blocked by the country’s constitutional court.
Source: www.france24.com , www.apnews.com
