In Dakar, the new Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye made his first move by appointing Ousmane Sonko, a fiery politician and key supporter, as prime minister.
Sonko, a critic of former President Macky Sall, is particularly popular among the youth of the West African nation. However, he was disqualified from the March 24 presidential election due to a defamation conviction, which he vehemently denied.
The duo campaigned together under the slogan “Diomaye is Sonko,” with Sonko rallying supporters to vote for Faye, who ultimately secured over 54% of the vote in the first round.
Faye was officially inaugurated on Tuesday to assume his new role.
Following his appointment, Sonko expressed his intention to present Faye with a complete list of proposed ministerial appointments for his approval.
Sonko reassured that he would not leave Faye to shoulder this heavy responsibility alone.
(Reporting by Diadie Ba and Bate Felix; Writing by Portia Crowe; Editing by Leslie Adler and Cynthia Osterman)
