Senegal: Bassirou Faye Sworn in As Senegal’s President

A left-wing pan-Africanist, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has been sworn in on Tuesday as Senegal’s youngest president.

Faye swept the ballot at a first-round victory on a pledge of radical reform simply 10 days after he was launched from jail.

The 44-year-old had by no means earlier than held an elected workplace. Nonetheless, a number of African leaders attended the ceremony within the new city of Diamniadio, close to the capital Dakar.

“Earlier than God and the Senegalese nation, I swear to faithfully fulfil the workplace of President of the Republic of Senegal,” Faye swore earlier than the gathered officers.

He additionally vowed to “scrupulously observe the provisions of the Structure and the legal guidelines” and to defend “the integrity of the territory and nationwide independence, and to spare no effort to realize African unity.”

The formal handover of energy with outgoing President Macky Sall will happen on the presidential palace in Dakar.

Faye was amongst a bunch of political opponents free of jail 10 days earlier than the March 24 presidential poll below an amnesty introduced by Sall, who had tried to delay the vote.

Faye’s marketing campaign was launched whereas he was nonetheless in detention.

The previous tax inspector turns into the West African state’s fifth president since independence from France in 1960.

Working together with his populist mentor, Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from the election, Faye declared their priorities in his victory speech: nationwide reconciliation, easing a cost-of-living disaster and combating corruption.

The anti-establishment chief has vowed to revive nationwide sovereignty over key belongings such because the oil, gasoline and fishing sectors.

Faye desires to go away the regional CFA franc, which he sees as a French colonial legacy, and to take a position extra in agriculture with the intention of reaching meals self-sufficiency.

However he has additionally sought to reassure traders that Senegal “will stay a pleasant nation and a positive and dependable ally for any companion that engages with us in virtuous, respectful and mutually productive cooperation.”

After three tense years and lethal unrest within the historically steady nation, his democratic victory was hailed from Washington to Paris, by way of the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU).

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday spoke with the president-elect by phone and “underscored the US’ sturdy curiosity in deepening the partnership” between their two nations, the State Division mentioned.

On the worldwide stage, Faye seeks to deliver military-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger again into the fold of the regional Financial Group of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc.