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Friday November 01, 2024

Bassirou Diomaye Faye sworn in as Senegal’s new president

Faye was released from prison less than two weeks before the March 24 election

By Reuters
April 03, 2024
Bassirou Diomaye Faye speaks after being sworn in as Senegals President at an exhibition centre near the capital Dakar on April 2, 2024. — AFP/File
Bassirou Diomaye Faye speaks after being sworn in as Senegal's President at an exhibition centre near the capital Dakar on April 2, 2024. — AFP/File

DAKAR: Senegal inaugurated Bassirou Diomaye Faye as its new president on Tuesday, completing the previously little-known opposition figure’s dramatic ascent from prison to the palace in recent weeks.

Faye was released from prison less than two weeks before the March 24 election, along with popular opposition figure and mentor Ousmane Sonko, following a political amnesty announced by outgoing President Macky Sall. It is the former tax inspector’s first time in elected office.

“It’s the culmination of a long struggle for democracy and the rule of law,” said Aissata Sagna, a 39-year-old factory worker who worked on Faye’s campaign. “This is a day of celebration for us, even if we have lost young people killed during the demonstrations.”