Aisha Dabo
Member of DSA and ICDR, Co-Founder and Coordinator, AfricTivistes, Senegal
Penda Mbow
Member of DSA and ICDR, Former Minister of Culture of Senegal, President, Movement Citoyen, Senegal
Jeffrey Smith
Speaker at the Forum 2000 Conference, Founding Director, Vanguard Africa, USA
Aisha Dabo
Member of DSA and ICDR, Co-Founder and Coordinator, AfricTivistes, Senegal
“The recent elections in Senegal represent a significant turning point for the country and the continent, ushering in a new era under 44-year-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Africa’s youngest elected president. This new era is characterized by promises of ambitious changes and a commitment to democratic governance. Despite the challenges, Senegal's democratic institutions and civil society swiftly responded to uphold the rule of law and protect the integrity of the electoral process. This demonstrated the resilience of the country’s democracy and serves as hope for the continent amidst a backdrop of democratic backsliding.
The election of Faye reflects citizens’ desire for a governance system overhaul, breaking from the status quo since independence in 1960. Looking ahead, the Faye administration must deliver and address pressing issues such as the high cost of living, corruption, and youth unemployment. The government has to ensure that the expected changes are inclusive and benefit all in society, particularly the youth and women. Strengthening democratic institutions, promoting accountability and transparency, and fostering civic engagement are crucial steps in consolidating democracy and bringing development. Senegal's recent experience provides valuable lessons for the region and the continent by highlighting the importance of strong institutions and civil society in safeguarding democracy and the need for vibrant civil society to hold governments accountable. Moreover, Senegal's commitment to democratic principles and the peaceful transition of power without resorting to coups d'état sets a positive example for other African countries facing similar challenges.”
Penda Mbow
Member of DSA and ICDR, Former Minister of Culture of Senegal, President, Movement Citoyen, Senegal
“The presidential election of March 24 has come and gone. March 25 was a great day for the Senegalese people, who in the end remain the great winners of this presidential election. Civil society organizations, political parties, and the international community unreservedly condemned the postponement of the elections, which had no justification and was seen as the culmination of President Sall's authoritarian excesses. During this election, the significant weight of the Senegalese youth was noted, affirming its desire to deepen democracy and assert its citizenship. This determination led to the election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye in the first round with 54.28%, and his main challenger Amadou Ba, the candidate of the outgoing majority, garnered 35.79%. This election was unique in its kind: after many twists and turns, the outcome was surprisingly calm. Diomaye, freshly released from prison, won the election in the first round. There are many lessons to be learned, making the election almost revolutionary. The winning camp advocated national sovereignty, the creation of a new currency breaking away from the French tutelage, distancing from Maraboutic forces, renegotiation of gas and oil contracts, new management of resources (fishing resources, in particular), industrialization based on exploited raw materials and many more. The underlying objective of the new leaders' project is to create a country capable of defending its sovereignty. Ultimately, their goal is to attain food self-sufficiency and generate employment opportunities for young people. The new powers are bound to meet resistance from conservative forces, but they have a duty to speed up reforms to rebalance powers (executive, legislative, and judicial), fight corruption, and establish transparency.”
Jeffrey Smith
Speaker at the Forum 2000 Conference, Founding Director, Vanguard Africa, USA
“Today, there is an unbroken expanse of territory across Africa – from Sudan in the east, to Guinea in the west – in which military-led regimes have overthrown and seized power from civilian heads of state. Since 2013, there have been 22 coups and attempted coups across the continent, with 14 of them taking place in the past three years. Senegal, the only country in West Africa to have been spared the military contagion in its history, appeared to be on the brink after former President Macky Sall attempted to cling to power beyond his constitutional mandate while also postponing scheduled elections. The Senegalese people stood up en masse to unequivocally defend this encroachment on their hard-won democratic gains. Ultimately, President Sall stood down, and in the ensuing election held in March 2024, an upstart opposition candidate – who had been freed from prison less than two weeks before – won in a landslide. On April 2, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was sworn in as Senegal’s fifth and youngest president ever, promising to restore democratic stability and to bring economic progress to a young and restive population.
To be sure, democracy does not guarantee that the perfect candidate will always emerge victorious. This is true in established democracies as it is in the most nascent. What genuine democracy does guarantee, however, is that the will of the people is heard and protected. The Senegalese people, once again, showed this to be a fundamental truth while also defying the ominous forecasts.”
The views expressed in these works are the responsibility of its authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forum 2000 Foundation or its staff.
