26/03/2024
Senegalese new President.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye, 44, a former tax inspector, has emerged as Senegal's President-elect following a surprise victory in the presidential election conducted on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
Faye was just freed from jail and quickly became a prominent figure in Senegalese politics. His fiery tutor, Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from running in the election due to a defamation conviction, played an important role in his political career.
Sonko's Patriots of Senegal (PASTEF) party, launched in 2014, has endorsed Faye. Despite the breakup of PASTEF in July, Faye ran as an independent candidate.
Faye has organised rallies against President Macky Sall, claiming his administration of corruption and failure to alleviate chronic poverty.
Faye has been organising rallies against President Macky Sall, accusing his administration of corruption and failure to confront chronic poverty.
Faye, born in 1980 in Ndiaganiao, a town in west-central Senegal, met Sonko while working as a tax inspector in the Taxes and Estates Department. They worked together to help organise a union.
Faye was arrested in April 2023 on allegations of distributing false news, contempt of court, and slander of a constituted body stemming from a social media post.
Faye's campaign promises include reducing corruption, restoring stability, and prioritising economic sovereignty. His remarkable win has instilled hope among Senegalese residents that the new administration will confront longstanding poverty and corruption.