In Senegal, the country’s youngest president to date has taken the oath of office. He is the first head of state to officially have two first ladies.
In Senegal, the country’s youngest president to date took the oath of office and promised “systemic change” in his inaugural speech. Since the country’s independence from France in 1960, Faye is the first opposition candidate to be confirmed in the first round of voting. And he is the first head of state to officially present two first ladies to the people.
At his final campaign rally, Muslim Faye, often dressed in the traditional white robe, appeared in front of thousands of cheering supporters alongside his two wives, Marie and Absa. This is the first time that polygamy, which is deeply rooted in Senegalese culture, is being openly practiced by a head of state.
Polygamy “completely new” in the presidential palace
The Muslim has been married to the Christian Marie Khone Faye since 2009. They have four children together. He has been married to the Muslim Absa Faye since last year. Polygamy is deeply rooted in the Muslim country, but his public commitment to his two wives has so far been unusual. So far there has only been one First Lady, said former Culture Minister Penda Mbow. The marriage situation is “completely new” in the presidential palace and “the entire protocol needs to be revised.”
Faye clearly won the presidential election in the West African country on March 24th. Senegal is facing a massive political turning point. During the election campaign, Faye described herself as a “candidate for system change” and as a representative of “left-wing pan-Africanism”. The 44-year-old also promised to distribute the income from the country’s rich raw material reserves more fairly.
Faye’s election could now usher in a profound transformation of the country’s institutions. For example, the new president plans to renegotiate contracts on oil reserves and fishing. Faye also said he was not afraid to abandon the CFA franc as the national currency, which is common in West Africa and which he sees as a French colonial legacy. Senegal should invest more in agriculture so that it can be self-sufficient in the future.
Faye was in prison shortly before the election
At the same time, he assured potential investors that Senegal would “remain a friendly country and a safe and reliable ally for any partner” committed to “mutually productive cooperation.”
One of Faye’s goals is to persuade the military-ruled states of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to rejoin the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas). In January, the Sahel states accused the alliance of being “under the influence of foreign powers” – referring to the former colonial power France – and declared their withdrawal and increasingly turned to Russia.
Faye comes from a humble background and grew up in a family of farmers. He is also said to be a great admirer of former US President Barack Obama and anti-apartheid fighter Nelson Mandela.
Faye was released from prison just ten days before the presidential election – after criticizing the judiciary, he was imprisoned for various offenses such as contempt of court. His campaign began while he was incarcerated. Faye is supported by his mentor, Ousmane Sonko, who was excluded from the election. The former tax inspector Faye, who is usually called “Diomaye”, has never held elected office before. People still came to the events on the joint campaign tour with Sonko in droves and shouted: “Sonko is Diomaye, Diomaye is Sonko.”
