The newly elected president of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has appointed popular opposition figure and political ally, Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister barely hours after being sworn in as president.
Sonko, 49, was detained in prison alongside Faye a few months before the election, a move many believed was politically motivated.
The firebrand politician who was regarded as the main opposition to the government of Macky Sall, the now-former president, was barred from running for president after being charged with leading an insurrection.
However, his supporters maintain that the verdict was rather politically orchestrated.
After his ban, Sonko endorsed his trusted lieutenant, Faye, as the presidential candidate.
Before Sonko’s endorsement, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was not a well-known political figure in Senegal, but this changed dramatically when he won the election held last month.
Faye, a former tax inspector, defeated Amadou Ba, the candidate of outgoing President Macky Sall’s ruling coalition, by a landslide in the first round of voting.
According to AP news, Sonko has now been named the new prime minister of the country, and will be part of the new government of the West African State.
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What you should know
Bassirou Diomaye Faye was sworn in on Tuesday as Senegal’s fifth and youngest president ever, promising to restore stability and bring economic progress.
The former tax Inspector, aged 44, won decisively in the first round, beating Amadou Ba, the nominee from President Macky Sall’s incumbent coalition.
- “The results of the election showed a profound desire for change,” Faye said after taking the oath of office at a ceremony he attended with his two wives.
The Inauguration was attended by more than a dozen national leaders and regional delegates, featuring notable figures like Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, and the African Union Commission Chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
- “Senegal will be a country of hope, at peace, with an independent justice system and a stronger democracy,” Faye said, promising to manage affairs ethically and to build the economy.