Bassirou Diomaye Faye
Image Credit: The Presidency of Senegal
This article was originally written in October of 2024.
On March 13th, 2024, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was in a jail cell. It was where Faye, crammed in with three other cellmates, had spent the past eleven months. About two weeks later, on April 2nd, Faye was sworn in as the President of Senegal. Faye became the nation's youngest elected leader ever, and, as it currently stands, the youngest president in Africa. Faye hopes to use his role to shape the future of Senegal and promote democracy across Africa.
Other than a failed bid for mayor of his hometown of Ndiaganiao in 2022, Faye has very little formal political experience. Educated as a tax inspector, Faye was introduced to the political world through his friend Ousmane Sonko, a colleague and founder of the African Patriots of Senegal for Labor, Ethics, and Fraternity (PASTEF) Party. The reserved Faye never intended to become a politician. However, feeling that democracy in Senegal was in danger, Faye felt the need to speak out.
Three-fifths of Senegal's population is under 30, and the nation looks unprepared for its future without enough jobs to support this growing population. As unemployment and the cost of living continue to rise, so does the trend of emigration. Every year, tens of thousands of Senegalese attempt perilous journeys to Europe in the hope of better opportunities.
Still, Senegal is considered one of the most democratic nations in Africa. Since its independence from France in 1960, there have always been free, fair democratic elections with peaceful transfers of power. Yet, corruption and changing electoral laws have put the legitimacy of democracy in doubt.
The incumbent, and president since 2012, Macky Sall, created some of the most pervasive dangers to a democratic future. In 2024, Sall argued he was eligible to run for a third term because of new presidential term limits, and planned to do so, despite promising the year before that he would not run in the upcoming election. Sall then ordered the postponement of the presidential election due to an ongoing corruption investigation. Overruled by the Constitutional Court, the election was held on March 24th, 2024—it was originally scheduled to take place on February 25th.
Sall's efforts to hold onto power were particularly alarming given the threats to democracy in neighboring countries. Over half of the population of the continent of Africa is under the age of 20, and these young populations are facing similar issues of corruption, unemployment, and emigration. But Senegal stands out among West African countries in the Sahel region, having avoided the recent wave of coups seen in nearby nations.
Two Senegalese candidates seemed capable of challenging Sall’s attempt at a third term in office. One of the popular voices of opposition was Karim Wade, son of former president Abdoulaye Wade. However, Wade was disqualified from running due to his dual citizenship (his mother is French). The other candidate threatening Sall was Ousmane Sonko, founder of PASTEF, and Faye’s good friend.
Sonko founded PASTEF in 2014, and, unlike Faye, had always aimed for political power. Sonko was a member of Parliament between 2017 and 2019 where he wrote a political manifesto about his vision for Senegal. He ran for president in 2019 on the platform of addressing unemployment, and corruption, and establishing stronger national sovereignty, specifically, replacing the franc with a domestic currency. After finishing in third place, Sonko spent the next couple of years building a more resilient strategy to combat Sall, uniting opposition parties together while also serving as the mayor of Ziguinchor.
In 2021, Sonko was charged with rape, leading to widespread protests across the country. Many saw the arrest as a political tactic used by Sall to eliminate his largest threat towards retaining control of the nation. As political violence grew, Sonko claimed it was too dangerous for him to attend court and appeal his case. He was subsequently jailed.
Eventually, Sonko was cleared of the rape charges but continued to be held in prison on charges of corrupting the youth. Shortly after his release, in 2023, he was arrested again. This time for disrupting the peace, among other charges, as violent protests continued across the nation. These protests turned into riots with dozens of deaths and hundreds of arrests. Three days after Sonko’s second imprisonment, the government dissolved the PASTEF party; and, when the country released the official list of eligible candidates for the 2024 presidential election, Sonko’s name was nowhere to be found.
Despite being unable to run, and, without a party platform, Sonko continued campaigning against Sall. Sonko planned to use his trusted number two, Bassirou Diomeye Faye, to run in his place. Often working on Sonko’s campaign policy, Faye became the Secretary General of PASTEF in 2021. In conjunction with his growing role in the party, Faye started to gain a political voice where he expressed his concerns about the future of the country. After a Facebook post criticizing corruption in the judicial system, Faye was arrested on charges of false news and contempt of court.
Approaching the 2024 presidential election, Faye and Sonko were still both in jail. However, a Parliamentary electoral rule granted the release of Faye, Sonko, and other political figures on March 14th (it is presumed the purpose of the law was to cover up the role of police violence during riots that year). The plan was still for Faye to run. Faye spent the next ten days campaigning endlessly with Sonko across the country. Running on the slogan ‘Diomaye is Sonko,’ Faye focused on further separating Senegal from its reliance on the West, supporting low-wage workers, and fighting corruption; Faye built a platform based on Sonko's messages.
For presidential elections in Senegal, a candidate needs a 50% majority to win. Otherwise, run-offs would occur. The March election featured 19 candidates, including Macky Sall, yet, Faye, the relatively unknown independent (without a party due to the dissolution of PASTEF) beat out the 19 other candidates in the first round of voting with a 54% majority.
Once elected president, the 44-year-old Faye appointed Sonko as his prime minister. So far, Faye’s biggest challenge has been an opposition-controlled Parliament, making it difficult to push his policy. He recently called for a Parliamentary election in November, hoping that a shake-up of the legislature could make his policy more enactable.
Despite the bureaucratic struggles, Faye has not had a problem expressing where he wants the country to be headed. Internationally, seeing how climate change and the price of natural resources affect Senegal and the continent, Faye is asking for a larger platform for African leaders to voice their concerns. He continues to fight for the consolidation of natural resources and the establishment of a domestic currency. Faye aims to create better opportunities for the country’s burgeoning group of young people, helping them gain the qualifications necessary to have safe prospects in their home country.
Africa is set to be one-quarter of the world’s population by 2050, and a new wave of young leaders is likely to follow this young class of citizens throughout the continent. Faye is among the first of these new democratic leaders, looking to ensure that Africa has a role in shaping the future of the world. As remarkable as his road towards the presidency was, what he does in that role could be a far greater story.
Maclean, Ruth. “From Village to Prison to Africa’s Youngest Elected President.” The New York Times. March 28, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/World/Africa/Senegal-Faye-President-Home.html.
Katharine Viner. “Bassirou Diomaye Faye Sworn in as Senegal’s Youngest President.” The Guardian. April 2, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/02/bassirou-diomaye-faye-to-be-sworn-in-as-senegal-youngest-president.
Haque, Nicolas. “From Prisoner to President in 20 Days, Senegal’s Diomaye Faye Takes Office.” Al Jazeera. April 2, 2024. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/4/2/from-prisoner-to-president-in-20-days-senegals-diomaye-faye-takes-office.
McKenna, A. "Bassirou Diomaye Faye." Encyclopedia Britannica, October 4, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bassirou-Diomaye-Faye.
Peltier, Elian. “Protests Erupt in Senegal after Opposition Leader Is Sentenced to Prison.” The New York Times. June 1, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/01/world/africa/senegal-ousmane-sonko.html.
Maclean, Ruth. “Senegal Must Hold Election After All, Top Court Rules.” The New York Times. February 15, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/15/world/africa/senegal-election-court-ruling.html.
McKenna, A. "Bassirou Diomaye Faye." Encyclopedia Britannica, October 4, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bassirou-Diomaye-Faye.
Ibid.
Maclean, Ruth. “From Village to Prison to Africa’s Youngest Elected President.” The New York Times. March 28, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/World/Africa/Senegal-Faye-President-Home.html.
Peltier, Elian. “Protests Erupt in Senegal after Opposition Leader Is Sentenced to Prison.” The New York Times, June 1, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/01/world/africa/senegal-ousmane-sonko.html.
Jazeera, Al. “Senegal Dissolves Party of Opposition Leader Sonko.” July 31, 2023. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/31/senegal-dissolves-party-of-opposition-leader-sonko.
Ba. Diadie. “Senegal's final presidential candidate list excludes opposition leader Sonko” Jan 20, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/senegals-final-presidential-candidate-list-excludes-opposition-leader-sonko-2024-01-20/
Maclean, Ruth. “From Village to Prison to Africa’s Youngest Elected President.” The New York Times. March 28, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/World/Africa/Senegal-Faye-President-Home.html.
Maclean, Ruth. “Senegal’s Young President Wants a New World Order.”The New York Times. September 25, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/world/africa/president-senegal-bassirou-diomaye-faye.html.
Ibid.