Bassirou Faye, 44-year-Old Sworn-in as Senegal’s President
Left-winger, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, was sworn in Tuesday as Senegal’s youngest president after sweeping to a first-round victory on a pledge of radical reform 10 days after he was released from prison.
What You Should Know About 44-year-old President
1. Faye was born in Ndiaganiao, M’Bour, Thies, Senegal, on March 25 1980.
2. He previously held the position of General Secretary in the now-defunct political party PASTEF (Patriotes Africains du Sénégal pour le travail, l’éthique et la fraternité), which translates to African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity. The party was established in 2014 by Ousmane Sonko.
3. After obtaining his baccalaureate in 2000, Faye achieved a master’s degree in law. He successfully passed both competitive exams and was admitted to the National School of Administration (ENA) and the magistracy in 2004.
4 Following his graduation, he joined the Tax and Estates department as a tax inspector, where he crossed paths with Sonko, a fellow alumni from the same school.
5. In 2014, Faye and Sonko’s bond strengthened within the Taxes and Estates Union, initiated by Sonko. During this period, Faye actively advocated for simplifying the process of homeownership for tax and property agents.
6. As the leader of PASTEF and Senegal’s primary opposition figure, Sonko publicly endorsed Faye as a presidential candidate in November 2023. This endorsement came amidst uncertainty surrounding Sonko’s own potential candidacy, despite the dissolution of PASTEF a few months earlier.