Senegal President Faye names ally Sonko as Prime Minister
By AFP |
Speaking after his appointment, Sonko said he would present Faye with a full list of proposed ministerial appointments for his approval.
Senegal's newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye named his mentor and anti-establishment figurehead, Ousmane Sonko as prime minister, just hours after being sworn in on Monday.
"Mr Ousmane Sonko is named prime minister," said Oumar Samba Ba, the general secretary of the presidency, as he read out a decree on the public television station RTS.
Keep reading
Sonko, 49, was at the centre of a two-year stand-off with the state that triggered bouts of deadly unrest. He was disqualified from running in the most recent race and picked Faye as his replacement on the presidential ballot.
Sonko, an opponent of former President Macky Sall, is popular among the West African nation's youth but was barred from the March 24 presidential election due to a defamation conviction. He denied any wrongdoing.
Campaigning jointly under the slogan "Diomaye is Sonko," Sonko urged supporters to vote for his top lieutenant, Faye, who ultimately won with over 54 per cent of the vote in the first round.
Speaking after his appointment, Sonko said he would present Faye with a full list of proposed ministerial appointments for his approval.
There will be no question of leaving him (Faye) alone to assume this heavy responsibility," Sonko said.
On Tuesday, Faye became Senegal's youngest president, pledging systemic change after years of deadly turmoil and announcing his mentor, opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye makes a speech after taken oath in front of the Constitutional Council during the ceremony of swearing in as the new president of Senegal on April 2, 2024, near Dakar, Senegal. Cem Ozdel / Anadolu (Photo: CEM OZDEL/Anadolu via AFP)
Faye, 44, has never previously held an elected office. He swept to a first-round victory on a promise of radical reform just 10 days after being released from prison.
He took the presidential oath in front of hundreds of officials and several African heads of state at an exhibition centre in the new town of Diamniadio, near Dakar.
Hundreds of jubilant citizens lined the roads leading to the presidential palace to greet his motorcade as he then returned to the capital.
His predecessor, Macky Sall, symbolically handed Faye the key to the presidential headquarters before leaving the palace.
"Before God and the Senegalese nation, I swear to faithfully fulfil the office of President of the Republic of Senegal," Faye had said earlier in the day.
"I am aware that the results of the ballot box express a profound desire for systemic change," Faye said in a brief speech after taking the presidential oath.
"Under my leadership, Senegal will be a country of hope, a peaceful country with an independent judiciary and a strengthened democracy," he added.
Faye and Sonko were among a group of opposition politicians freed from prison 10 days before the March 24 presidential ballot under an amnesty announced by former president Macky Sall, who had tried to delay the vote.
"I have painful memories of the martyrs of Senegalese democracy, the amputees, the wounded, and the former prisoners," Faye said Tuesday, referring to the past three years of political unrest that left dozens dead and hundreds arrested.
Reader comments
Follow Us and Stay Connected!
We'd love for you to join our community and stay updated with our latest stories and updates. Follow us on our social media channels and be part of the conversation!
Let's stay connected and keep the dialogue going!
Latest News For You
