President Faye of Senegal appoints major supporter Sonko as prime minister

Senegal’s freshly sworn-in President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has appointed politician and major ally Ousmane Sonko as prime minister. Sonko, often touted as an incendiary figure is an opponent of former President Macky Sall. Although he is quite popular among the West African nation’s youth, Sonko was barred from the 24 March presidential election due to a defamation conviction which he denied wrongdoing. Campaigning jointly under the slogan “Diomaye is Sonko,” Sonko urged supporters to vote for Faye, who won with over 54% of the vote in the first round. Speaking after his appointment, Sonko said he would present Faye with a full list of proposed ministerial appointments for his approval. “There will be no question of leaving him (Faye) alone to assume this heavy responsibility”, Sonko said.