The newly elected president of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, took office this Tuesday, April 2, after winning the elections on March 24 with 54.28% of the votes. Faye was thus confirmed as the fifth head of state of the African nation since it became independent from France in 1960. The new president, 44 years old, the youngest in the country's history, faces challenges ranging from reconciliation national and job creation to the fight against corruption.
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Amid great expectation and excitement among those who voted for him, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was inaugurated as president of Senegal on April 2, after winning the elections on March 24, with 54% of the votes.
In a solemn ceremony, on the outskirts of Dakar, the country's capital, Faye, 44, the youngest president in the nation's history, underlined his ambitions for Government, in a nation mired in a deep economic crisis.
In Senegal, unemployment generates a massive flight of young people towards Europe and in the midst of a corruption widespread that nullifies the possibilities of establishing a prosperous country.
For now, without having had time to change the country, Faye has been able to radically change her life: has gone directly from a cell to the presidential palace.
Faye, imprisoned a year ago for defamation, was released from prison just two weeks before Senegal elected him as the country's new leader.
He did it together with Ousmane Sonko, 49 years old and Senegal's opposition leader, but his candidacy was rejected by the Constitutional Council, so Faye replaced him. Now that he is president, challenges accumulate in your office and the hopes of youth for his figure are notorious.
The last few months in Senegal have been marked by demonstrations, violence and death, due to a political crisis of which his predecessor, Macky Sall, is the main blame.
Economic crisis
One of the most affected sectors is, highlights the local press, tourism, since They have canceled between 25 and 30% of reservations since 2021. Other key projects in the country have also been affected, such as those in the hydrocarbon sector.
As part of the solution, the new ruler promises to promote economic patriotism and renegotiate contracts with foreign companies.
Bp Plc, Kosmos Energy Ltd. or Woodside Energy Group Ltd, companies with oil and gas projects, will have to sit in their office and contribute something more to the coffers of the Senegalese State, he indicated.
But His energy affairs advisor, Ngagne Demba Toure, previously tried to reassure investors: “Renegotiating contracts does not mean that the State imposes itself on companies without taking the law into account, but rather that the two parties agree to discuss some clauses of the contract,” he stressed.
In addition, after numerous delays, Senegal will open the taps this year on the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, valued at 4.8 billion dollarsand the oil exploitation of Sangomar, which could become in one of the world's fastest growing economiesas analyzed by Bloomberg.
Inflation is also a national headache, and even more so after the influence of external factors, such as the war in Ukraine. That is why Faye's intention is reduce imports and promote the national productespecially in the food sector, in which the population is experiencing a noticeable increase in prices.
Unemployment and discontent among young people
The secret of Faye's victory, according to analysts, is in the young vote. Senegal, with three quarters of the population under 35 years oldhas turned to a candidate who has promised to give them jobs.
The proportion of young Senegalese without employment, education or training stood at 35% in 2019. Since then, the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have further reduced the labor market and many young people have decided to undertake risky sea voyages to emigrate.
The Migration from West Africa to Europe via the dangerous Atlantic route doubled more than in 2023 compared to 2022, with more than 39,900 people arriving in the Canary Islands, in Spain, mostly from Senegal and neighboring Gambia, according to data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior.
Regarding the fight against corruption, Faye began by making public a declaration of her assets and asking the other candidates to do the same. It included a house in Dakar and land outside the capital and in her small hometown. The funds in her bank accounts totaled about $6,600.
With Reuters and EFE
