Macky Sall
Fourth president of Senegal, 2012–2 April 2024.
Macky Sall, born 11 December 1961, was the fourth president of Senegal, serving from 2012 to 2024. Before that, he was prime minister from 2004 to 2007 under Abdoulaye Wade and then president of the National Assembly from 2007 to 2008. He also served as mayor of Fatick twice, first from 2002 to 2008 and again from 2009 to 2012. A longtime member of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), he was removed from his National Assembly post in November 2008 after a falling-out with Wade. He then founded his own party, the Alliance for the Republic (APR), and moved into opposition. In the 2012 presidential election, he finished second in the first round, gained support from other opposition candidates, and defeated Wade in the second round on 25 March 2012. He is the first president born after Senegal gained independence from France.
During his presidency, major infrastructure projects were completed: a new airport and town near Dakar, highways, express trains, a national stadium, and a road link to Mali. The economy grew steadily, with annual GDP rising from $17 billion to $27 billion. Internationally, he earned praise for diplomatic work, including advocating for African debt cancellation, supporting anti-terrorism efforts, and condemning military coups. He helped resolve conflicts in Senegal’s Casamance region and played a key role in ousting Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh in 2017. At home, he faced criticism over governance issues, such as tensions with the political opposition and constitutional debates that led to the 2023–2024 protests. Sall is a candidate to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General in 2027, with his candidacy endorsed by Burundi and supported by several African countries.
Sall was one of five children. His father, Amadou Abdoul Sall, worked as a state employee and later a caretaker; his mother, Coumba Thimbo, sold peanuts. He grew up in Fatick, Futa Tooro, and Mboro (from ages 2 to 5). His father belonged to the Socialist Party (PS), but in high school in Kaolack, Sall connected with Maoists through his brother-in-law. At the University of Dakar, he joined the Marxist-Leninist movement And-Jëf, led by Landing Savané, but soon left because he disagreed with its ideas and its boycott of the 1983 election, in which he voted for liberal candidate Abdoulaye Wade (and again in 1988). He trained as a geological engineer at the University of Dakar’s Institute of Earth Sciences and later at the French Institute of Petroleum’s National College of Petrol and Engines in Paris. He belongs to several national and international geological associations. He met his wife, Mariéme Faye Sall, in 1992 when she was a high school student in Diourbel; they have three children.
Sall joined Wade’s PDS in the late 1980s. He became Secretary-General of the PDS Regional Convention in Fatick in 1998 and served as the party’s National Secretary for Mines and Industry. He was active in the “Sopi” campaign that brought Wade to power in the 2000 election. From April 2000 to May 2003, he served as Special Advisor for Energy and Mines to President Wade, and from December 2000 to July 2001, he was Director-General of the Petroleum Company of Senegal (PETROSEN). He became Minister of Mines, Energy and Hydraulics in May 2001, replacing Abdoulaye Bathily. He was promoted to Minister of State in November 2002 while keeping that portfolio, and also became mayor of Fatick in June 2002. In August 2003, he moved to Minister of State for the Interior and Local Communities and became Government Spokesman.
In July 2004, Wade appointed Sall prime minister after dismissing Idrissa Seck. Sall also became Vice-President of the PDS Steering Committee. Though little known at the time, he made a strong impression in his first policy address. He ran Wade’s re-election campaign for the February 2007 presidential election, which Wade won in the first round. After Wade was sworn in, Sall resigned in April 2007 but was immediately reappointed with the same government. He remained prime minister until June 2007, making him Wade’s longest-serving prime minister. During his tenure, he advanced several policies started by his predecessor, including the Corniche de Dakar motorway and the Blaise Diagne International Airport.
In the June 2007 parliamentary election, Sall won a seat on the national list of the Coalition. After the election, Wade appointed Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré as prime minister, replacing Sall, who had resigned with his government shortly before. Sall said he was proud of his work as prime minister. He was not elected president of the National Assembly the following day, on 20 June.
- known_for
- Fourth president of Senegal (2012–2 April 2024); infrastructure projects; diplomatic efforts
Lore & Background
He studied geological engineering at the University of Dakar and the French Institute of Petroleum in Paris. He joined the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) in the late 1980s and held various ministerial posts under President Abdoulaye Wade, including Minister of Mines, Energy and Hydraulics and Minister of State for the Interior. He left the PDS and founded the Alliance for the Republic (APR). He placed second in the first round of the 2012 presidential election, won the backing of other opposition candidates, and defeated Wade in the second round on 25 March 2012. As president, he oversaw infrastructure projects including a new airport, highways, express trains, a national stadium, and a road link to Mali. The annual GDP grew from $17 billion to $27 billion during his tenure.
Reader's Guide
Macky Sall, born 11 December 1961, is a Senegalese politician who served as the fourth president of Senegal from 2012 to 2024. He was the first president born after Senegalese independence from France. Sall’s political career began in the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), which he joined in the late 1980s after earlier involvement in Marxist-Leninist movements during his university studies. He rose through the ranks under President Abdoulaye Wade, serving as Minister of Mines, Energy and Hydraulics, then Minister of the Interior, and eventually as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2007, the longest-serving of Wade’s prime ministers. During his premiership, he initiated major infrastructure projects such as the Corniche de Dakar motorway and Blaise Diagne International Airport. After a falling out with Wade, Sall was removed as President of the National Assembly in 2008, prompting him to found his own party, the Alliance for the Republic (APR), and join the opposition. He placed second in the first round of the 2012 presidential election, secured the backing of other opposition candidates, and defeated Wade in the second round. As president, Sall oversaw steady economic growth, with annual GDP rising from $17 billion to $27 billion, and completed large-scale infrastructure including a new airport and town near Dakar, highways, express trains, a national stadium, and a road link to Mali. Internationally, he advocated for African debt cancellation, bolstered anti-terrorism measures, condemned military coups, helped resolve the Casamance conflict, and played a key role in ousting dictator Yahya Jammeh in The Gambia in 2017. Domestically, his tenure faced criticism over governance issues, tensions with the opposition, and constitutional debates that fueled the 2023–2024 protests. Sall is a candidate to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General in 2027, with endorsement from Burundi and support from several African countries.
Did You Know?
- Macky Sall is the first Senegalese president born after the country's independence from France.
- He was trained as a geological engineer at the University of Dakar and the French Institute of Petroleum.
Roots in Serer Country and a Family of Conscience
Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye entered the world on 25 March 1980 in the small village of Ndiaganiao, nestled in Senegal's western M'Bour department. A member of the Serer ethnic group's noble Faye lineage, he carries a middle name that translates to 'honourable' in the Serer tongue. Faye has consistently emphasized his rural, village-shaped upbringing, describing how he absorbed the educational and social values of his homeland in Serer country. His political leanings trace back to his father, Samba Faye, a longtime member of Senegal's Socialist Party who noted that his son absorbed left-wing ideals from an early age. The family's history with authority runs deep: Faye's grandfather served as a Senegalese Tirailleur fighting for France in the First World War and was later imprisoned by colonial officials after clashing with them over his push to build a district high school in Ndianganiao. That very school would eventually become Faye's own place of learning, linking three generations of the family to a single act of defiance against the colonial order.
From the Tax Office to the Heart of PASTEF
Faye's path from civil servant to political heavyweight was neither sudden nor accidental. It was there that he formed a close bond with fellow alumnus Ousmane Sonko. Faye used his position to campaign for homeownership schemes aimed at tax and property agents.
Arrest, Charges, and the Long Wait for Release
The trigger was a social media post in which he criticized what he saw as systemic injustice in the courts, anticipating a ruling that might bar Sonko from running in a legal dispute involving PASTEF and Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang. Initial charges included spreading false news, contempt of court, and defamation of a constituted body; as weeks passed, prosecutors layered on accusations of inciting insurrection and undermining state security, and his detention stretched indefinitely. The situation reached a breaking point in February 2024 when incumbent president Macky Sall attempted to delay the scheduled elections, citing unresolved questions over candidate eligibility. Mass protests swept the country, and the Constitutional Council struck down the postponement. Sall then announced he would honor the 2 April handover, fixed the vote for 24 March, and signaled readiness to free detained opponents. An amnesty bill was rushed through parliament, hundreds of political prisoners walked out of cells, and on 14 March—barely ten days before polling day—both Faye and Sonko were released.
A Historic First-Round Victory and the Dawn of a New Presidency
When the Constitutional Council published the final candidate list on 20 January 2024, Sonko's name was absent after a string of legal challenges, while Faye's was validated on the basis that he had never been convicted. Sonko immediately pledged his backing. The day after his release, Faye addressed hundreds of supporters at his first public rally, and former president Abdoulaye Wade's PDS threw its weight behind him the same afternoon, following the disqualification of Karim Wade over dual-citizenship rules. Another rival, Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, also withdrew in Faye's favor. His platform centered on job creation, a hard line against corruption, and a review of existing energy contracts, all wrapped in the Wolof slogan 'Diomaye mooy Sonko'—'Diomaye is Sonko'—a deliberate invocation of Sonko's magnetic appeal with young voters. He published his own asset declaration and urged rivals to do the same. On 24 March he captured more than 54 percent of the vote, becoming the first opposition candidate to win a Senegalese presidential election outright in the first round since independence in 1960, and took the oath of office on 2 April with a pledge to combat corruption at the heart of governance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What positions did Macky Sall hold before becoming president?
Prior to his 2012 election, Sall served as prime minister under President Abdoulaye Wade and also led the National Assembly as its president. These senior roles gave him deep experience in Senegalese governance before he ran for the top office.
How did Macky Sall's presidency come to an end?
Sall's twelve-year tenure concluded on 2 April 2024 after he was defeated in the presidential election by Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The transition marked a peaceful handover of power in Senegalese politics.
Why is Macky Sall significant in post-colonial African history?
Being the first post-independence-born president of Senegal, Sall represented a generational shift in who could lead the nation. His long tenure also made him a defining political figure of the early 21st century in West Africa.
What was Macky Sall most recognized for during his time in office?
Sall's presidency was widely associated with large-scale infrastructure development projects and a strong focus on diplomatic engagement across the continent. These two pillars shaped most of his public policy agenda throughout his twelve years.
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