Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has congratulated Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his election as the new president of Senegal following the West African nation’s peaceful polls earlier this year.
President Hassan was among the first world leaders to congratulate Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his election as the new president of Senegal following his victory in the March 26 election.
In a statement released by her office Wednesday, President Hassan hailed both Faye’s personal victory and the Senegalese people’s commitment to democratic processes.
“I am conveying my sincere congratulations to His Excellency Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President-elect of the Republic of Senegal, on your victory in the 2024 Senegalese presidential election; and the Senegalese people for a peaceful election,” the Tanzanian leader said. “You have my best wishes.”
The warm welcome from the Tanzanian president continued a tradition of close ties between the two nations. Hassan emphasized her intention to deepen the relationship, stating, “I am looking forward to continue working together to strengthen the relations between Tanzania and Senegal.”
Faye, a political newcomer popular among disaffected youth, won the presidency after spending months in jail alongside ally and kingmaker Ousmane Sonko.
He emerged victorious after campaigning on a platform of economic development and maintaining stability in the relatively rare transfer of power for the region.
Provisional results from the electoral commission showed Faye with about 53.7% of the vote and Amadou Ba from the current ruling coalition trailing with 36.2%, based on tallies from 90% of polling stations in the first-round vote.
He was announced in February as the so-called “Plan B” candidate, replacing the charismatic opposition firebrand Sonko. Both men founded the now-disbanded Pastef party, worked as tax collectors, and were jailed last year on charges they claimed were politically motivated, only being released a week before the election.
Fighting poverty, injustice and corruption are top priorities for Faye’s agenda. While working at the Treasury, he and Sonko created a union taskforce to tackle graft. Faye has vowed to renegotiate gas, oil, fishing and defense deals to better serve the Senegalese people.
The newly elected president’s unconventional path to power and bold policy goals signal potential shifts ahead for Senegal. President Hassan’s congratulations pave the way for cooperating with Faye’s administration as it seeks to implement its reformist platform.
His election marks just the third time in Senegal’s post-independence history that power has passed from one civilian president to another after peaceful voting. Outgoing President Macky Sall is set to step down after two terms in office.
