“Sonko in charge”, exclaims WalfQuotidien on the front page. The newspaper notes that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye wasted no time in getting to work, naming his mentor just hours after his swearing-in ceremony yesterday.
“No surprises…” points out the news site Dakar Matin. “Ousmane Sonko is now invited to propose members of the government.” He said, “in the coming hours or days, this government will be composed of men and women of value and virtue. Senegalese from the interior and the Diaspora, known for their competence, integrity, and patriotism.”
In his first speech, “Ousmane Sonko made a passionate appeal for national unity and citizen participation,” according to Seneplus. Referring to “this formidable Senegalese youth” who mobilized to clean the streets, he declared: “It is even more important that we focus our action on citizenship, collective participation. … We will spare no effort to achieve the objectives we have promised to the Senegalese people, namely, rupture, progress, and definitive change for the better.”
Who will lead the country?
So, “Diomaye Faye and Ousmane Sonko, who will be the true president of Senegal?” asks Tu l’as coupé in Ouagadougou.
“Ousmane Sonko as head of government will be the true conductor of a symphony he has written from start to finish,” asserts the Burkinabe newspaper. Senegal will find itself, unmistakably, in a scenario reminiscent of Medvedev-Putin!”
In any case, Tu l’as coupé continues, “Bassirou Diomaye Faye must act as the president of everyone, all Senegalese who thirst for justice, equity, social well-being, and inclusive development. … In international politics, with Senegal’s sovereignty deeply rooted, but also guided by the North Star of ‘African unity,’ the new President of the Republic will certainly make the right choices, between old and new partners, guided solely by the interests of his people.”
In fact, adds Ledjely in Guinea, “a significant portion of those who elected him would like him to honor his electoral promise of redefining Senegal’s relations with some partners, including France.”
What will be the relationship between Dakar and Paris?
So, how far will the Faye-Sonko alliance go in this area?
Some advocate for a break… Witness this opinion piece published by the Senegalese newspaper 24 Heures: “Puppet pro-Western regimes are rapidly crumbling across the African continent. The Alliance of the Sahel States, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, may be the vanguard of an African Resistance Axis. … Bassirou Diomaye Faye emerged with the profile of an outsider Pan-African leader to overthrow the outgoing President Macky Sall, a puppet of France. … He has not yet clearly stated whether he intends to expel French military personnel from Senegal. If that were to happen, the blow to Paris would be unprecedented.”
And a “win-win partnership”?
“Faced with the election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, France wants to avoid a rupture,” points out Le Monde Afrique in Paris.
“While there are evident points of contention between the Pastef, a ‘left-wing Pan-Africanist party,’ and France, areas of reconciliation are possible. Opposed to the current version of the CFA franc, Bassirou Diomaye Faye advocates for reform of the common West African currency inherited from colonization. This is a point on which France, the top investor and second-largest commercial partner, is sanguine. ‘We are more open than ever to this idea. It is what the President [Macron] has been pushing for years. If other points need to be reformed, we will be receptive,’ assures a French diplomatic source. Regarding security,” Le Monde Afrique continues, “Pastef no longer demands the departure of French troops – 350 soldiers still present in Dakar – as it had previously demanded. However, Bassirou Diomaye Faye has not ruled out expanding security cooperation to new partners, including Russia.”
A year ago, Le Monde Afrique notes, Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared, “We are not against France, but for Senegal. Saying ‘I prefer myself’ does not mean ‘I hate you’. What we want is a win-win partnership.”
Le Monde concludes, “There is a period of uncertainty in the relations between France and Senegal, where every statement and gesture on both sides will be scrutinized.”
