Senegal's new 'serious and ambitious' leader Faye celebrated in his native village

As Senegal prepares for the inauguration of president Bassirou Diomaye Faye this Tuesday, his native village of Ndiaganiao has already begun celebrating. RFI's correspondent met with his father and inhabitants in the region of Mbour, one hundred kilometres to the west of the capital.

Men from around the country have flocked to congratulate the father of president-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye, in Ndiaganiao, a remote village in Senegal's farming region.

"I feel proud, I am happy and I thank God," 84-year-old Samba Faye told RFI's Charlotte Idrac, speaking from the hallway of the pastel-coloured family home and dressed in a silk blue boubou.

"He must take care of the people before taking care of his parents," he insisted. "We elected him for that, so that he could help the Senegalese. People want change. He must work to keep his promises."

"Bassirou has always been a serious and ambitious boy," his father said, adding that Faye had come to see him before the election and asked him to pray for his success.

The anti-establishment candidate won the presidential election in the first round on 24 March, with 54.28 percent of the vote.

He will take over from President Macky Sall who lead the country for the past 12 years.

'Great responsibility'

The 44-year-old Faye, who has said he wants a "break" with the current political system, is set to become the youngest president in Senegal's history, and Africa's younger leader.

"I told him that a great responsibility now rests on his shoulders," his father added.

Outside the house, little girls play barefoot in the dusty road in front of buildings from another age where old wooden doors and others made of rusty metal still stand.

In Ndiaganiao, where Faye won 80 percent of the vote, the walls and dilapidated buildings have his name and that of his mentor Ousmane Sonko written in white paint.

The uncle of the new president and his namesake Diomaye Faye said that running as leader wasn't his nephew's intention.

"He never really intended to get involved in politics, but his friend Sonko drew him into politics," said his uncle, a political science professor in the United States, who said he spent two years with pan-Africanist leader Thomas Sankara from 1985 to 1987.

"The main advice we can give him is... to remain himself, being humble and keeping his ability to listen," the uncle added.

Great memories and high expectations

At the local headquarters of Faye's party, the walls are covered with posters of the new president.

The Pastef party, founded by Sonko in 2014 was officially dissolved by out-going President Macky Sall's government in July 2023.

Mor Sarr, who introduces himself as Faye's best friend and an official at Pastef, remembers playing football "on sandy pitches delineated by stones" with Faye and sharing food when they had little money as students.

The two met at school aged 11 and went on to share a room from 2001 to 2004 at the University of Dakar.

"Diomaye has always been very close to his mother, Khady Diouf, whom he used to help with the household chores after school. Diomaye was also a little shepherd who looked after his goats," Sarr said.

"He was a brilliant student too", he continued, "especially in literary subjects. Parties were not our hobby. He was someone who spent all his time, apart from school, next to his mother. He played football, he's a good player, but he didn't have many friends."

With all the twists and turns that events have taken, Sarr thinks this really is a "consecration of a long democratic struggle, of a truly loyal conquest of power." 

The village is in need of critical infrastructure including paved roads and a health clinic and locals are expecting a lot from the new president.

"The village for example needs a hospital. He also needs to invest in education to give our children a chance of succeeding,"  shopkeeper, Fabienne Dione, told French news agency AFP.

 (with AFP)