In a historic show of Senegal’s democratic resilience, outgoing President Macky Sall met with President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye and opposition figure Ousmane Sonko at the Presidential Palace on Friday to plan for an orderly transfer of power.
The meeting comes just weeks after Faye’s surprise election victory over Sall’s party, and following a period of political turmoil in which both Faye and Sonko were briefly jailed by the Sall administration before being released to contest the presidency.
Faye, the candidate of Sonko’s PASTEF party, secured a surprising victory in the March 24th presidential election with over 54% of the vote. Sall’s ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba trailed with 35%.
Despite the tensions leading up to the vote, the scene at the Palace represented Senegal’s democratic traditions winning out over potential conflict. The three political heavyweights were seen shaking hands and calmly discussing the transition process.
In a tweet after the meeting, President-elect Faye referred to the gathering as a “Working session at the Palais de la République with the President Macky_Sall,” while still describing Ousmane Sonko, who was in his company, as “President Ousmane Sonko.”
By continuing to call Sonko “president” despite his disqualification from the race, Faye appeared to be extending an olive branch and according respect to his ally and the leader of the PASTEF party that backed Faye’s candidacy. The description highlighted Sonko’s stature within their political movement.
The involvement of Sonko, who retained a strong opposition voice after being disqualified from the race, was also seen as an important signal of broader political reconciliation and Senegal’s efforts to heal divisions.
International observers hailed the dialogue as an important step for Senegal, long seen as a bastion of democratic stability in a region too often marred by electoral conflicts and leaders clinging to power.
While challenges inevitably remain, the meeting has helped ease fears of a democratic backslide in Senegal. All eyes now turn towards Faye unveiling his policy vision and cabinet picks in the lead up to his inauguration on May 1st.
