By Edward Francis Dalliah
Celebrating his 44th birthday on the day of the election, Senegal’s youngest President, Diomaye Bassirou Faye was sworn in on 2nd April 2024 and appointed Ousman Sonko as Prime Minister soon after. Only ten days before the election, the two new leaders were in prison but completed their remarkable turnaround within a fortnight. A turnaround that brought them face-to-face with outgoing President Macky Sall to discuss handing over and eventually presiding over the country’s 64th Independence Day Ceremony today 4th April 2024.
In between all the fanfare, a list of Cabinet Ministers was quietly making the rounds said to be approved by the newly appointed President. The list was being circulated on social media and WhatsApp but was confirmed to be false by our reporters. Since then an announcement from Senegal’s state house promised that the President’s Cabinet Ministers would be announced yesterday at 3 pm, unfortunately, that never materialized.
Since then, the Independence Day Ceremony took center stage today with the new President making an appearance in a low-key affair. Soon after winning the elections, then President-Elect Faye’s asset declarations have been making the rounds in his quest to fight corruption during his term in office.
Former President Macky Sall is currently 62 years old, making him 50 years old when he was elected in 2012 for his first term. Senegal’s third President Abdoulie Wade is currently 92 years old but he came into office in the year 2000, when he was around 67 years old. This makes him the oldest Senegalese President.
Second President Abdou Diouf is currently 88 years old and served from 1981 to 2000. President Diouf was around 45 years old when he became the President making him close age mates of the current fifth President Diomaye Faye. Senegal’s first President Leopold Sedar Senghor died at the ripe age of 95 years in Version France in December 2001. He became the first Senegalese President in 1960 at the age of 54 and served for 20 years.
Prime Minister Sonko is currently 49 years old. He was a tax inspector who risked his government position in 2016 by blowing the whistle on corruption he encountered at work, resulting in his dismissal. From there on he became a fully-fledged politician, challenging the government of President Macky Sall winning a seat in the National Assembly through his Party PASTEF in 2017.
Not satisfied with the National Assembly, Sonko ran for the Presidency in 2019 and secured 16% of the votes which placed him in third position. His meteoric rise continued until authorities managed to pin him down with a conviction for corruption of the youth after a bitter rape case in 2021.
The firebrand politician later suffered several charges which landed him in jail, the dissolution of his party and being banned from contesting in the recent Presidential Elections despite being released from prison and freed from all charges.
This forced Sonko to endorse Faye as the Presidential candidate for the Opposition using the slogan “Diomaye is Sonko,” promising to fight corruption and tackle youth unemployment amongst many issues.
With the Independence Day Celebrations out of the way, many are waiting for President Faye to announce his Cabinet Ministers after the new President failed to announce his Cabinet yesterday 3rd April 2024.