DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s little-known, 44-year-old opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye appeared set Monday to become the country’s next president, less than two weeks after being released from prison to run in the election.
While official results of Sunday’s vote were not yet available, the former prime minister who was the other frontrunner, and who was backed by incumbent President Macky Sall, conceded defeat based on preliminary results.
Faye’s expected victory reflected frustration among youth with high unemployment and concerns about governance in the West African nation.
Faye, who was backed by popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, has vowed to protect Senegal from corruption and interference from foreign powers like former colonial master France. Sonko, who was also released on March 14 after months in prison to jubilant celebrations in the capital, was barred from running due to a prior conviction and Faye ran in his place.
There was no immediate comment from the winning team, but a news conference was hastily scheduled to take place that evening.
Sall, who triggered violent protests earlier this year when he unsuccessfully tried to postpone the election until the end of the year, also congratulated Faye in a statement. His former prime minister and the loser in the race, Amadou Ba, wished Faye success in a statement shared by his campaign team.
Out of everything, I’m glad at least this Senegal saga had a happy ending
I was expecting a different ending to this story.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Faye’s expected victory reflected frustration among youth with high unemployment and concerns about governance in the West African nation.
Faye, who was backed by popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, has vowed to protect Senegal from corruption and interference from foreign powers like former colonial master France.
Sonko, who was also released on March 14 after months in prison to jubilant celebrations in the capital, was barred from running due to a prior conviction and Faye ran in his place.
Alioune Tine, founder of Afrikajom Center, a Senegalese think tank, said the outcome of the vote proved Senegal would survive after a difficult year that had undermined the population’s faith in democracy.
International analysts said a change in leadership in Senegal would come as a relief after months of violence, but raised new questions about the foreign policy of the new government at a time when the coastal nation is becoming an oil and gas producer.
Across neighboring countries in the Sahel, including Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, that recently experienced military coups, sentiment has turned against France.
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