President of the United States, Joe Biden, has congratulated Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his election as the next president of Senegal.
Biden, in a statement, stated that the Senegalese people have demonstrated that the right to vote—and have that vote counted—remains democracy’s threshold liberty.
Faye was officially declared winner of Senegal’s presidential election after winning 54.28% of votes in the first round, significantly more than that of governing coalition’s candidate, former prime minister Amadou Ba, who had 35.79% of the votes.
“Over more than six decades, Senegal and the United States have deepened our partnership, including standing together to counter terrorism, address food insecurity, combat the climate crisis, fight corruption, and ensure that democracy delivers for all of our people. In the years ahead, I look forward to strengthening these ties even further as we continue working together to forge a more peaceful and prosperous future for all,” President Biden stated.
Forty-four-year-old Faye, a tax inspector who was only released from prison 10 days before the election, is set to become Senegal’s youngest president.
