Senegal’s President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye promised Senegalese on Monday that he will govern the country with humility and transparency, ensuring national reconciliation during his term in office.

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Opposition presidential candidate Faye beat the candidate of the ruling coalition, Amadou Ba, by a clear margin after Sunday’s presidential election. He thanked outgoing President Macky Sall and other candidates for respecting Senegal’s democratic tradition by recognizing his victory.  

“In electing me, the Senegalese people have decided on a break with a past,” Faye said in his first address to the media after the elections. “I promise to govern with humility and transparency.” 

Faye also committed to fighting against corruption in the country in order to give substance to the immense hope and aspirations of the people.

The tweet reads, “Senegalese, Senegalese, My dear compatriots, Foreign guests, Who live among us. The holding of the presidential election that we have just experienced above all marks the victory of the Senegalese people.”

Faye made special mention of his political ally Ousmane Sonko, to whose support he owes much of his victory. Together they form the political party Patriotes du Sénégal pour le Travail, l’Ethique et la Fraternité (PASTEF), which was dissolved by the government last year. They were released from prison under an amnesty law 10 days before the elections, after which they went on the campaign trail.

Faye, 44, became Ba’s main competitor after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who enjoys wide support among young people, was barred from the race due to a defamation conviction. Faye was imprisoned following a post on his Facebook account criticizing the Senegalese justice system in connection with Sonko’s case.

Earlier on Monday, the outgoing president joined other presidential contenders in recognizing Faye’s victory well before the proclamation of the final results. “I salute the smooth running of the presidential election of March 24, 2024 and congratulate the winner, Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who the trends show as the winner. It is the victory of Senegalese democracy,” Sall said on social media.

Nineteen candidates were running in the presidential race, including the only female candidate, Anta Babacar Ngom, but two dropped out to back Faye. Some 7.3 million Senegalese were eligible to vote in the election. 

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