Senegal: Youngest president-elect emerges, vows to govern with humility

Senegal’s President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye has spoken for the first time following his win at the Sunday presidential election.

The opposition candidate promised to govern the West African country with humility and transparency as he emerged victorious.

Mr Faye’s main rival from the governing coalition, Amadou Ba, has already conceded defeat, paving the way for the 44-year-old tax expert to become the youngest president in the country’s history.

The president-elect also promised to focus on “national reconciliation” after three years of unrest and a political crisis that unsettled the country.

Mr Faye also vowed to “fight corruption at every level,” rebuild institutions, and tackle the cost-of-living crisis while thanking the incumbent president, Macky Sall, for conducting a free and fair election.

According to the preliminary figures, Mr Faye leads by around 53.7%, with Mr Ba trailing by 36.2%.

Mr Faye’s victorious outing in the poll came less than two weeks after he was released from prison.

The Constitutional Council has yet to formally publish the final results, but opposition party members and supporters have commenced celebrations around the country.