New Senegalese President Basserou Ndayumye Faye was released from prison 10 days before his election (Anatolia)
DAKAR -
March 25 is a day unlike any other for the fifth Senegalese President, Basserou Ndayume Faye, as it is the day he was born in 1980, and on which he was elected president in 2024.
As for the month of April, it will be a month of paradoxes in the life of the new president, as he entered prison in 2023, and in it he will enter the presidential palace in 2024.
Although Faye's path to the palace was not paved as he was released from prison only 10 days before his election, the fate and atmosphere of tension created by his successor, Macky Sall, is one of the most prominent things that enabled Basiro to crush his opponents in the first round of the political battle.
His frank speeches on corruption and the fight against it, and his bold programs on bringing national interests into international relations, made attention turn to the future of Senegal's partnerships with the outside world in the new era.
A different politician
Basserou differs from other Senegalese politicians, as he received his entire academic training in Senegal, and did not study in France or in other Western universities. Rather, he graduated from Sheikh Anta Job University and the National School of Administration in Dakar in 2007. He also did not hold senior positions in the government apparatus. .
Although he did not embrace a specific ideology, he sought independence and freedom from French hegemony, and called for individual and collective freedoms. During his studies at the university, he was close to the student movements that had an Islamic tendency and were close to the Ibad al-Rahman group, and he participated with them in struggle and protests.
When he became a tax inspector, he got to know closely his companion and inspiration, Ousmane Sonko, in 2014, and they shared many commonalities, such as: work profession, religious commitment, the idea of liberating Senegal from dependence on France, and interest in fighting corruption.
The new president was distinguished by focusing his speeches on the problems of the fragile and marginalized classes, so he touched the pain of society and restored its hopes.
The two young men founded the African Patriotic Party in Senegal for Action and Ethics (PASTIF) in 2014, and embarked on a political path characterized by escalation, challenge, and confrontation in the field and within the corridors of the courts until it brought them to the door of the palace.
In the political doctrine of Bastif, whose Secretary-General Fay serves, France still considers Senegal part of its colonies, as it is the first plunderer of African wealth, and it is necessary to review relations with it and enter into equal and profitable partnerships for all.
Fall of France
Just as leader Sonko said in his 2019 campaign that he does not adopt a hostile stance against France, but demands relations that respect African privacy, Fay’s statements and pledges in the election campaign came in recognition of the depth of historical relations with Paris and the European Union, but he considered that these relations should not be at the expense of Senegal.
He said that he intends to diversify his country's military and security partnerships, referring to the possibility of rapprochement with Moscow, if interest so requires.
According to a reading by the Sahara Center for Studies and Consultations, it is likely that Fay will change the angle of approach in foreign policy from what it was previously, but he will not be part of the alliance loyal to Moscow.
Burkinabe writer and researcher Mohamed Lamine Souadgo believes that the organization of the elections and the success of Passero represents the downfall of France in the region, and part of the disappearance of its grip. He said on the X platform that Paris lost the state of Senegal because whoever will lead it adopts an ideology opposed to Western imperialism.
One of the points and electoral promises in the Passero Fay program that the Senegalese responded to was the fight against French cultural hegemony, as he committed to reviewing cultural policies dependent on Molière’s language, and promised greater openness to the English language.
Although Senegal has 39 local languages, French is the country's official language, as has been known in recent years, giving Arabic consideration and paving the way for its speakers to enter government departments, and knowing it has become an added value for officials.
Among the new president's economic priorities is exiting the unified French currency, which he considers a cause of the deterioration of the Senegalese economy, and represents an aspect of the French occupation of the economy of the countries of the West African region. He pledged that if ECOWAS does not succeed in minting a new West African currency, Senegal will strike its own currency.
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani congratulated his new Senegalese counterpart, Basserou Faye (Reuters)
Regional relations
In his electoral program, Bassero Faye committed to strengthening cooperation with the Atlantic coast (Mauritania, Gambia, and Guinea Bissau), and he also aspires to find a mechanism for joint action between these countries to carry out surveillance and intelligence tasks.
Regarding the relationship with the state of Mali, he believes that his country is concerned with the transformations taking place in it, and any security disturbance will necessarily reflect on Senegal.
As for the northern neighbor, Mauritania, his companion and head of his party, Othman Sonko, spoke about it more than once in the past five years, and considered that the presidents who preceded him did not take into account the interests of Senegal in their relations with Nouakchott.
There is a large Senegalese community in Mauritania, most of whose members are fishermen and manual workers, and 27,000 Senegalese voters were registered in Nouakchott in 2024, of whom approximately 10,000 people voted, of which Passero Faye received 55%.
It is known that a war broke out between the two countries over border demarcation in 1989, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries, and their common interests require dealing with the logic of caution and considering the outcome of matters.
A paper prepared by the Sahara Center for Studies indicates that President Basseiro Fay will abandon the escalation scenario and pursue the option of calm, give priority to the logic of good neighborliness, and invoke the power of common interests.
Immediately after the results were announced, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Sheikh Al-Ghazouani congratulated his new counterpart and expressed his readiness to work with him for bilateral cooperation between their countries and to strengthen the historical bonds of friendship and brotherhood that unite the two peoples.
Karim Wade, son of former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, is the most prominent ally of the new president, Basseiro Faye (Reuters)
Reassure partners
Despite what the French newspaper “Le Monde” published about Basserou that he is “an extension of the Muslim Brotherhood, and will constitute a break with what the political system in Senegal has been accustomed to,” he, in his first appearance before his supporters after his victory, said that his country will remain a reliable partner for any party that cooperates with it in Framework of integrity and mutual respect.
In his success speech, he pledged that his country would remain ready to cooperate with “African brothers” with the aim of regional integration. The new speech contained reassurance to external partners.
One of the difficulties facing the new president is that he has never had experience dealing with foreign files and does not have the slightest knowledge of international partners, but the coalition that supported him includes prominent figures with extensive foreign experience and relations.
Among the most prominent allies who supported him and have a presence in the Arab and Islamic worlds is the head of the Senegalese Democratic Party (BDS), Karim Wade, son of former president Abdoulaye Wade.
Karim Wade has good relationships, and working with his father as a consultant in charge of implementing major projects enabled him to know the economic conditions of the country, and his assignment to directly supervise the organization of the 11th summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Senegal gave him the opportunity to get to know the princes and leaders of the Islamic world, and to forge long-distance relationships with them. Term.
Karim Wade also has special relationships in Doha, and strong influence in Paris, where he held citizenship, and where he had previously managed companies. He directed his supporters to support the opposition coalition, and Wade Sr. also made a field visit to Passero Faye during the election campaign, which greatly increased his popularity. It is expected that the new president will benefit from their experience.
Reconciliation
Rapid population growth in Senegal poses a major challenge to the government, as 20% of young people are unemployed, and poverty accounts for 36.6%.
Although the country has large agricultural lands, it imports 70% of its food needs, and agriculture still depends on primitive methods. According to the United Nations, Senegal is classified as one of the least developed countries, despite the steps it has taken to achieve economic development.
In 2020, the volume of external debt reached $13.5 billion, and 36% of the country’s exports go to repay debts.
As a country that relies on loans and grants, it will remain subject to strong pressure from external partners, and may find difficulties in implementing internal policies that achieve national interests.
It is expected that the new president will face strong difficulties represented by the rootedness of corruption in the generation that has been running the country for many decades, especially since Fay has shown that one of his priorities is eliminating corruptors, and he appeared at political festivals carrying a traditional broom symbolizing his endeavor to cleanse the administration of corruptors.
Despite the tensions that Dakar has known in the last three years and the removal of the new president and his staff from the arena of political influence, Faye announced in his first exit after his success that he would direct his efforts towards national reconciliation and rebuilding institutions. He committed that he would engage in comprehensive consultations to reach a general policy that could contribute to the success of Senegal's aspirations for the better.
In his victory speech, Basiro Fay expressed his desire to move on from the past and turn the page on the political events that the country witnessed, which claimed a number of deaths and injuries, and led to him being imprisoned for a full year. He considered that he was seeking to reconcile hearts, as if he wanted to apply the principle of “no blame against you,” and Senegal accommodates everyone. .
Source: Al Jazeera