President Faye of Senegal names ally, Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister hours after inauguration
The newly elected president of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has appointed popular opposition figure and political ally, Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister barely hours after being sworn in as president.
Sonko, 49, was detained in prison alongside Faye a few months before the election, a move many believed was politically motivated.
The firebrand politician who was regarded as the main opposition to the government of Macky Sall, the now-former president, was barred from running for president after being charged with leading an insurrection.
However, his supporters maintain that the verdict was rather politically orchestrated.
After his ban, Sonko endorsed his trusted lieutenant, Faye, as the presidential candidate.
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Before Sonko’s endorsement, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was not a well-known political figure in Senegal, but this changed dramatically when he won the election held last month.
Faye, a former tax inspector, defeated Amadou Ba, the candidate of outgoing President Macky Sall’s ruling coalition, by a landslide in the first round of voting.
According to AP news, Sonko has now been named the new prime minister of the country, and will be part of the new government of the West African State.
