Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a left-winger, will begin to perform the duties of his office as his inauguration as Senegal’s youngest President has begun.
He vowed to implement reforms following his remarkable election victory, achieved just 10 days after his release from prison. The 44-year-old pan-Africanist, previously inexperienced in elected office, is set to assume his new role amidst attendance from various African leaders, including Nigeria’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The inauguration ceremony is taking place in the new town of Diamniadio, near Dakar’s capital. Following this event, the formal transfer of power will occur at Dakar’s presidential palace, where he will succeed President Macky Sall.
Faye, among a group of political opponents released from prison just 10 days prior to the March 24 presidential ballot through an amnesty by Sall, initiated his campaign while still in detention. As the fifth President since Senegal’s independence from France in 1960, Faye is the first to openly acknowledge a polygamous marriage.
Teaming up with populist mentor Ousmane Sonko, who was disqualified from the election, Faye outlined their priorities in his victory speech: national reconciliation, addressing a cost-of-living crisis, and combating corruption. Pledging to restore national control over crucial sectors like oil, gas, and fishing, he aims to break away from the CFA franc, a remnant of French colonialism, and to boost agricultural investment for food self-sufficiency.
While emphasizing Senegal’s welcoming stance towards investors, Faye assured that the country would continue as a reliable ally. Despite three years of tension and unrest, his democratic victory has garnered praise from international capitals, including Washington, Paris, Abuja and other countries of the world.
