Ousmane Sonko - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

Senegal’s new prime minister is political firebrand Ousmane Sonko

SENEGAL'S new prime minister Ousmane Sonko is a firebrand politician who rallied Senegalese youth to enable the election of his top lieutenant Bassirou Diomaye Faye as president, and who now, as expected, has secured a top role in return. A fierce opponent of former president Macky Sall, Sonko, 49, was barred from standing in the March 24 presidential election because of a conviction for defamation. He denied any wrongdoing, but chose the little-known Faye as his replacement, urging his supporters to back him instead. Sonko and Faye, both former tax inspectors, have positioned themselves as opponents of corruption and elitism…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Senegal President Faye appoints ally Sonko as prime minister

NEWS

NEW Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye appointed firebrand politician and key backer Ousmane Sonko as prime minister in his first act as president. Sonko, an opponent of former President Macky Sall, is popular among the West African nation's youth but was barred from the March 24 presidential election due to a defamation conviction. He denied any wrongdoing. Campaigning jointly under the slogan "Diomaye is Sonko," Sonko urged supporters to vote for his top lieutenant, Faye, who ultimately won with over 54% of the vote in the first round. Faye was inaugurated on Tuesday. Speaking after his appointment, Sonko said he would present…

Mar

2024

By MOUHAMED ABDALLAH LY and PAPE CHÉRIF BERTRAND BASSÈNE

Bassirou Diomaye Faye: from prison runner-up to president of Senegal

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

BASSIROU Diomaye Faye was elected as Senegal’s fifth president on 25 March 2024. Incumbent president Macky Sall and his candidate, former prime minister Amadou Ba, were both quick to congratulate the opposition candidate on his victory when the results came out. This has been a major – and fast – turn of events for Faye (commonly called “Diomaye”), who was in prison just 10 days before the election. Faye was backed by the popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was deprived of his electoral rights for five years due to a prior conviction. Sonko received a six-month suspended prison sentence…

Mar

2024

By BATE FELIX and PORTIA CROWE

From prison to palace: Faye’s road to Senegal’s presidency

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, EDITORS CHOICE

JUST a few months ago, the man set to be Senegal's next president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, was sitting in a prison cell, a relatively unknown figure outside his opposition party Pastef. Everything changed for him when the party's firebrand leader, Ousmane Sonko, who was also detained, was charged with insurrection in July and barred from running in elections to succeed President Macky Sall. That cleared the way for Faye to emerge from the shadow of his former boss and eventually from prison, take over the race and on Monday - the day of his 44th birthday - emerge as the victor after his opponent conceded…

Mar

2024

By DIADIE BA and BATE FELIX

Opposition candidate Faye takes early lead in Senegal presidential polls

NEWS

EARLY results from Senegal's presidential vote put opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye ahead, sending his supporters to celebrate in the streets, though his main rival from the ruling coalition said a run-off will be needed to determine the winner. At least five of the 19 candidates in the race issued statements as results trickled after the election on Sunday, congratulating Faye. Former prime minister Amadou Ba, the ruling coalition's candidate, said however that celebrations were premature. "For our part, and considering the feedback of the results from our team of experts, we are certain that, in the worst case scenario,…

Mar

2024

By SOFIA CHRISTENSEN and BATE FELIX

Freed from jail, Senegal opposition presidential candidate draws hundreds to first event

NEWS

A day after his release from jail, Senegal opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye drew hundreds of supporters at his first public appearance as a presidential contender for the March 24 elections, promising to tackle corruption. Next to him, the popular firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko urged supporters to vote for his ally. "We have an election to win. We have lost too much time," Sonko, also released from prison on Thursday, said at a joint news briefing. Firebrand Sonko - who was seen as the key challenger to President Macky Sall's ruling party - threw his support behind Faye after being disqualified over…

Mar

2024

By BATE FELIX and NGOUDA DIONE

Thousands celebrate release of jailed Senegal opposition leaders

NEWS

SENEGALESE opposition firebrand Ousmane Sonko and the presidential candidate he is backing in the March 24 election, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, were released from prison, state broadcaster RTS said on its website. Their release had been expected after parliament passed an amnesty law on March 6 as the authorities sought to ease tensions following their thwarted bid to postpone the vote by 10 months. RTS did not give further details, and it was not immediately clear where the pair were after their release. Thousands of supporters massed in Dakar, the capital, to celebrate the news, chanting Sonko's name on the gridlocked street where…

Mar

2024

By The African Mirror

Senegal opposition coalition promises new currency and revamp of oil contracts

NEWS

A Senegalese opposition coalition backed by popular firebrand Ousmane Sonko launched its presidential campaign platform on Saturday with promises to create a new national currency and renegotiate mining and energy contracts. There are no public election opinion polls in Senegal, but the coalition's candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, is seen as a strong contender among the 19 candidates vying for the presidency in the March 24 vote. If he is elected, the coalition's plans could have significant implications for the eight-nation West African Economic and Monetary Union and for Senegal's plans to become an oil producer later this year. "Convinced that full independence…

Jan

2024

By DIADIE BA

Senegal court deals blow to Sonko’s presidential hopes

NEWS

SENEGAL'S Supreme Court ruled against opposition politician Ousmane Sonko in his appeal of a libel conviction, dealing another blow to his hopes of competing in next month's presidential election, lawyers said. Sonko, 49, has been battling various court cases since 2021. These have hampered his plans to vie for the presidency in the February 25 vote and fuelled unrest that has damaged Senegal's reputation as one of West Africa's most stable democracies. After deliberations that extended from Thursday into the early hours of Friday, the court rejected Sonko's appeal against a May conviction that led to him receiving a six-month suspended sentence…

Dec

2023

By The African Mirror

Senegal court orders opposition leader Sonko to be reinstated on electoral list

NEWS

A Senegal court has ordered jailed opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to be reinstated on the electoral register, a ruling that could pave the way for him to run in a February presidential election, Sonko's lawyer Cire Cledor Ly said. Sonko has faced a flurry of court cases over the past two years for charges including libel and rape, which he denies. The cases against him have triggered deadly violence in the West African nation. Sonko, 49, was cleared of rape in June, but sentenced to a two-year jail term after a court found him guilty of an offence described in the penal…