LETTER: Change in Senegal heralds new era

Over the past few years, anti-Western sentiments and coups have become commonplace in Africa. Waves of demonstrations swept across the continent, and calls to abandon neocolonial dependence on former metropolises were growing.

Senegal satisfied the public’s demand for democratic change by electing a young president who is ready to carry out serious reforms. Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s victory in the elections of March 24 was a complete surprise, even to experts.

Faye became the first opposition candidate to win in the first round of voting. For Senegal, which has been long under France’s control, this is a major turning point that marks liberation from years of internal political oppression by Paris.

In an interview with Le Monde newspaper Faye described himself as one of the new generation of African leaders “who demand greater equality and respect for their country”. He insists on the revision of fishing agreements with the EU in favour of his country, as well as on renegotiating contracts with European companies that are interested in developing recently discovered natural gas fields off the coast of Senegal.

This mostly affects France and its companies. Also, as a representative of “left-wing pan-Africanism”, Faye intends to put the region’s relations with partners on a more equal footing in general. He promised to reform the West African Economic and  Monetary Union in co-operation with other African countries to make it fairer.

If this idea fails, the newly elected president does not rule out the possibility of abandoning the CFA franc, a currency pegged to the euro and viewed by many as a relic of French colonialism, as well as withdrawing from other monetary co-operation agreements with France.

The victory of an opposition candidate who opposes the excessive influence of the West and prioritises national interests is a serious breakthrough not only for the region but for the African continent as a whole. A new era of independent development has finally come for Africa.

Troy Mutinda
Nairobi, Kenya

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