44-yr-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye is Senegal’s Prez-Elect

Former Prime Minister of Senegal, Amadou Ba, has congratulated opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye on winning the presidential election. The results of the election, which took place on Sunday, indicated that Faye, 44, may have secured an outright majority. Supporters of Faye celebrated in the streets of Dakar as the trends were announced on local media.

Initially skeptical of the premature celebrations, ruling coalition candidate Ba, 62, eventually called Faye on Monday to offer his congratulations. In a statement, Ba acknowledged the election result trends and congratulated Faye on his victory in the first round. Other opposition candidates, including the only female candidate Anta Babacar Ngom, also conceded defeat to Faye.

The election in Senegal saw millions of voters participating in the process to elect the country’s fifth president. The political climate leading up to the election was marked by three years of turbulence, including violent protests against the government.

Ba was supported by outgoing President Macky Sall, who is leaving office after two terms characterized by economic hardship and antigovernment protests. Faye, who was released from prison just over a week before the election, found himself at the forefront of Senegalese politics after his mentor, Ousmane Sonko, was disqualified from running due to a defamation conviction.