Senegal’s anti-establishment leader, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, whose victory in the weekend election is expected to be officially confirmed soon, was warmly received at the presidential palace on Thursday by outgoing leader Macky Sall. The meeting, which followed weeks of crisis surrounding the vote, indicates a swift and peaceful transition in the West African nation, known for its democratic stability in a region plagued by coups.
Faye, aged 44, was released from prison only 10 days before the election, along with his mentor Ousmane Sonko, who was disqualified from running due to a politically motivated criminal conviction. The outgoing president welcomed both men in what his office described as “a cordial meeting where they extensively discussed key state issues, as well as the upcoming inauguration ceremony”.
According to provisional results, Faye secured victory in the first round of voting with 54.3 percent, significantly ahead of Sall’s chosen candidate, former Prime Minister Amadou Ba, who garnered 35.8 percent of the vote. Senegal’s Constitutional Court may officially declare Faye the winner before the weekend, paving the way for a handover before April 2, the official end of Sall’s term.
In February, Sall triggered a political crisis by suspending the presidential election just days before it was scheduled, citing security concerns. The decision led to protests and clashes resulting in four fatalities, until the Constitutional Court instructed him to set a new date for March 24.
Faye, who lacks prior elected experience, is poised to become the fifth president of Senegal, a West African country with approximately 18 million inhabitants. He has pledged to restore national “sovereignty” and implement a program of “left-wing pan-Africanism”.
