Ousmane Sonko’s appointment as prime minister: A long-awaited breakthrough for Senegal?

The 44-year-old Faye rose to the presidency some ten days after he was released from prison on the charges of instigating hatred for the then government of Macky Sall.

After his ascension to the highest office of the West African nation, Faye, the new president, appointed 49-year-old Ousmane Sonko as prime minister.

Sonko, the man on whose political influence he relied to clinch victory in an election that had the whole world watching.

Senegal's democratic journey

The political background of Senegal is characterised by a long history of democratic governance amid various challenges. Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Senegal has maintained a relatively stable political environment compared to many other African nations.

The country has a multi-party system, with the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and the Alliance for the Republic (APR) as key political players. However, the political landscape has also been marked by political unrest, such as the 2012 election, which saw violent protests and allegations of electoral fraud.

The 2024 election in Senegal was also controversial as it was originally postponed from February to December 2024, leading to deadly protests. However, the Constitutional Council overruled the postponement, and the election was held on March 24.

The events leading up to the election were marked by arbitrary arrests of opposition figures like the current president and prime minister Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye and Ousmane Sonko respectively, excessive use of force by security forces, and concerns over human rights violations.

Leadership under Macky Sall

During the Macky Sall era, Senegal experienced notable economic growth and infrastructure development. Under his leadership, the country's GDP consistently expanded, averaging around 6% annually.

While infrastructural development was a priority under the leadership of Sall, there were struggles among the Senegalese population and also concerns about political freedoms and human rights, with critics accusing the government of stifling dissent and restricting freedom of expression.

"Admittedly, Macky Sall has invested several billion CFA francs in his Senegal Emergent Plan and has built roads, hospitals, new universities and transport infrastructure, but these projects do not sufficiently meet the real needs of the Senegalese population," Mamadou Samba Hane, an economics professor at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar told DW.

How does Sonko come into the picture?

Ousmane Sonko got into the Senegal political scene in 2016 after he blew the cover over illegal offshore tax deals in the country after working as a tax inspector for 15 years.

Sonko revealed the utilisation of offshore tax havens, notably a $50 million mineral sand processing plant employed by a Canadian company to evade $8.9 million in taxes.

The exposé immediately cost him his job but he didn't stop there. He wrote a non-fiction book titled Pétrole et gaz au Sénégal to throw more light on his findings in 2018.

Fast-forward to 2019, Sonko contested the presidential election in Senegal on the ticket of his party PASTEF. He surprisingly came in third with 15% of the total votes cast. This move announced his formidable presence in Senegalese politics.

Sonko's journey to prime minister was fraught with various instances of arrests over a rape allegation in 2021 and a subversive individual in 2023.

He faced legal challenges that barred him from running in the elections. Bassirou Diomaye Faye stepped in to replace him as the leading figure of the main opposition coalition.

What is expected of Sonko?

Ousmane Sonko's young age is a fresh start for many Senegalese who believe that the country needs a young and vibrant mind to think and decide from the perspective of a nation whose significant part of the population is under the age of 25.

Sonko's commitment to fulfilling every promise given to the Senegalese populace echoed during his acceptance speech as prime minister on April 2, 2024. "We will spare no effort to achieve the goals we have promised the people,” he said.