Ousmane Sonko speaks after he was appointed prime minister by Senegal's newly-elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, in Dakar, Senegal April 2, 2024. REUTERS/Abdou Karim Ndoye
DAKAR (Reuters) - Senegal's new prime minister Ousmane Sonko is a firebrand politician who rallied Senegalese youth to enable the election of his top lieutenant Bassirou Diomaye Faye as president, and who now, as expected, has secured a top role in return.
A fierce opponent of former president Macky Sall, Sonko, 49, was barred from standing in the March 24 presidential election because of a conviction for defamation. He denied any wrongdoing, but chose the little-known Faye as his replacement, urging his supporters to back him instead.
