Senegal’s Newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye addresses the audience after he took the oath of office as president during the inauguration ceremony in Dakar, Senegal, on April 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Senegal prepared to inaugurate Bassirou Diomaye Faye as its new President on Tuesday, completing the previously little-known opposition figure’s dramatic ascent from prison to the palace in recent weeks.

Mr. Faye was released from prison less than two weeks before the March 24 election, along with popular opposition figure and mentor Ousmane Sonko, following a political amnesty announced by outgoing President Macky Sall. It will be the former tax inspector’s first time in elected office.

“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 Mr. Faye’s campaign. “This is a day of celebration for us, even if we have lost young people killed during the demonstrations.”

The election tested Senegal’s reputation as a stable democracy in West Africa, a region that has experienced coups and attempted coups. It followed months of unrest ignited by the arrests last year of Mr. Sonko and Mr. Faye and concerns that the President would seek a third term in office despite constitutional term limits. Rights groups said dozens were killed in the protests and about 1,000 were jailed.

Mr. Faye, 44, campaigned on promises to clean up corruption and better manage the country’s natural resources. His victory was seen as reflecting the will of young people frustrated with widespread unemployment and former colonial ruler France, seen by critics to be using its relationship with Senegal to enrich itself.

Such frustrations are common across many countries in Africa, home to the world’s youngest population, where a number of leaders have clung to power for decades.

In his first speech as President-elect, Mr. Faye promised to fight corruption and reform the economy.

A practicing Muslim from a small town, Mr. Faye has two wives, both of whom were present on Tuesday. Ahead of the election, he released a declaration of his assets to show transparency and called on other candidates to do the same. It listed a home in Dakar and land outside the capital and in his hometown. His bank accounts totaled roughly $6,600.

“I think the first challenge is the formation of his (Faye’s) government,” said Alioune Tine, founder of the Senegalese think tank Afrikajom Center. “This will be the first concrete message he sends to the Senegalese people. The size, diversity and profiles will be analysed with a fine-tooth comb, to see if they meet the demand for a break with the past.”

The new President was little known until Mr. Sonko, a popular opposition figure 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. While Mr. Sonko’s future role in the new administration is unclear, he is expected to have a prominent role.

Mr. Faye was arrested for alleged defamation last year, while Mr. 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 youth and sentenced to two years in prison last summer. Mr. 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 then 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 and the election was eventually held weeks later in March.

Senegal’s President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye meets outgoing President Macky Sall at the presidential palace in Dakar, Senegal, on March 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Senegal’s Constitutional Council on March 29 confirmed the presidential election victory of opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye, paving the way for his inauguration as the country’s fifth president.

The top court validated provisional results announced on March 27based on vote tallies from 100% of polling stations.

Mr. Faye won more than 54% of votes in last Sunday’s delayed presidential poll, with ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba taking over 35%.

He is expected to be sworn in to replace outgoing President Macky Sall on April 2.

Supporters of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the presidential candidate he is backing in the March 24 election, react during the final campaign rally in Mbour, Senegal March 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Senegalese are heading to the polls on March 24 to vote in a tightly contested presidential race marred by months of unrest that threatened democracy in one of West Africa’s most stable nations.

The election will take place after much uncertainty following President Macky Sall’s unsuccessful effort to delay the February 25 vote until the end of the year — and then announcing a surprise amnesty for political prisoners.

Two leading opposition figures were released from prison last week to jubilant celebrations.

The election is set to be Senegal’s fourth democratic transfer of power since it gained independence from France in 1960. It is also the first vote without an incumbent on the ballot since term limits were introduced and there is no clear frontrunner among the 19 candidates, including one woman.

“This is poised to be the most competitive election since the introduction of multiparty politics,” Tochi Eni-Kalu, Africa analyst at the Eurasia Group, told The Associated Press.

The candidates

Analysts say no candidate is expected to win more than 50% of the vote, and a runoff between leading candidates is widely expected. These include Amadou Ba, a former prime minister, and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who is backed by popular opposition figure Ousmane Sonko.

Mr. Sonko, who came third in the previous election, was barred from running in January because of a prior conviction for defamation. He has faced several legal troubles in recent years that supporters say are part of a government effort to derail his candidacy.

Other potential frontrunners are Khalifa Sall, a former mayor of Dakar unrelated to the president, and Idrissa Seck, a former prime minister from the early 2000s who was the runner up in the 2019 presidential race.

Two candidates dropped out this week to back Mr. Faye’s candidacy, a sign of the start of coalition-building that could determine the outcome of the race, according to analysts.

High inflation, unemployements are major issues

At the forefront of concerns for many Senegalese voters is the economy, which has been squeezed by high food and energy prices partly driven by the war in Ukraine. Unemployment among the nation’s youth is widespread, driving thousands to risk their lives on dangerous journeys in search of jobs in the West.

“Jobs are really, truly the priority. Everyone can see that unemployment is taking over,” said Oumy Sarr, a political activist. “The second priority is the high cost of living in Senegal today. What is to be done to improve people’s living conditions? Inflation is rising, everyone is tired.”