Address to the Nation by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye

Speech - 2024 December 31

The President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, delivered his address to the nation this Tuesday, December 31, 2024, marking the end of the year and the opportunity to look towards the future. In his speech, the Head of State expressed wishes for peace, health, and prosperity for all Senegalese, while paying tribute to those who have left us this year.

President Faye also praised the women of Senegal for their crucial role in society, as well as the compatriots of the diaspora for their commitment and determination. Furthermore, the President of the Republic paid tribute to the Defense and Security Forces for their discipline and professionalism.

Among the important announcements, President Faye emphasized the priority of peace in Casamance and presented the Diomaye Plan for Casamance (PDC) to support the return of displaced populations and the peace process. He also reiterated his confidence in Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who detailed, during his general policy statement, the main orientations of the government program, based on the National Transformation Agenda – Senegal 2050.

During his speech, the Head of State announced the launch of the "Ligeeyal sa reew" platform in the first quarter of 2025, allowing every Senegalese to apply for public positions in competition or to propose projects and investment opportunities. He also mentioned the introduction of four bills on transparency and good governance, which will be submitted to the National Assembly.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed his gratitude to the Senegalese people for their democratic maturity and emphasized the importance of the fight against corruption to enable real change.

See the full speech of the President of the Republic:


Address to the Nation by His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal

Dakar, December 31, 2024 - Only the delivered speech is authentic


Senegalese, Foreign guests living among us on this African land of Senegal,

This last evening of the year is, as usual, a fitting moment for individual and collective introspection. A time to remember but also, and above all, to project ourselves towards a serene future to be built through an unprecedented collective effort. I extend to you my most ardent wishes for peace, health, and prosperity.

May the coming months be a time of accomplishments for each of you, for your families, and for the whole of Senegal. My thoughts first go to those who have left us this year. I pray for their eternal rest and offer my heartfelt condolences to their families. I also send a message of courage to all those facing illness, incarceration, or daily adversity: Senegal will never turn a blind eye to your suffering. I pay a vibrant tribute to all the women of Senegal, tireless workers and guardians of the family and social balance of our country. I salute our compatriots in the diaspora, whose commitment and determination make our country shine around the world.

I want to express the nation's gratitude to you. I also pay a special tribute to our Defense and Security Forces: your discipline, professionalism, and courage guarantee our sovereignty and significantly contribute to peace and security in the world. My dear compatriots, There can be no true progress without lasting peace. That is why one of my priorities remains definitive peace in Casamance. It is imperative to enable all development projects, supported by Vision Senegal 2050, in the Southern Economic Pole to come to fruition. In this perspective, I have initiated the Diomaye Plan for Casamance (PDC) to support the return of displaced populations and to aid the peace process in Casamance.

I also know that every Senegalese household aspires to better living conditions, greater social justice, and the certainty that the State truly serves the public interest. It is to meet this legitimate aspiration that the Prime Minister, Mr. Ousmane Sonko, to whom I reiterate my absolute confidence, presented his General Policy Statement before the National Assembly. In it, he detailed the main orientations of our government program, based on the National Transformation Agenda – Senegal 2050, to restore the country and place the citizen at the heart of public action.

In the same spirit, we have chosen consultation and dialogue as the guiding principles of our governance to make every citizen a decisive actor in the national transformation and construction. The Justice Assizes and the General States of Transport or Industry, already held, eloquently testify to this. This approach will continue through the National Assizes of Daaras and consultations on Higher Education as well as in other sectors, to strengthen the adherence and participation of all. Furthermore, in the first quarter of 2025, the Government will launch the Ligeeyal sa reew platform, which will allow every Senegalese, both at home and in the diaspora, to apply for public positions in competition or to propose projects and investment opportunities.

I have already instructed the Organization and Method Office to work on identifying key positions to be put up for competition, to propose standard job descriptions and rules for the organization and functioning of the candidate selection committee, which will be submitted to me at the end of the process for appointment.

My dear compatriots, Despite the challenges and uncertainties faced in 2024, this pivotal year has been marked by the expression of major aspirations defended at great sacrifice, the vigor of democratic reason, and the emergence of hopeful perspectives. Indeed, on March 24, 2024, you overwhelmingly entrusted me with the supreme honor of presiding over the destinies of the Senegalese people.

In a democratic logic and a beautiful electoral coherence, you confirmed and completed your choice at the polls on November 17, by granting us an undeniable parliamentary majority. The popular mandate is thus clear and unequivocal. It is our duty to carry it out with rigor, fidelity, and devotion. I commit to it! At this solemn moment, I would like to give thanks to God and thank the valiant Senegalese people for their great democratic maturity, praised and recognized worldwide.

For my part, I have meticulously deciphered this powerful message from the depths of the ballot boxes: in their great majority, the Senegalese have "lent" us the keys to open the doors of systemic change as well as the windows of national transformation, in righteousness, probity, and exemplarity jub, jubal, jubbanti! It is in this logic that I have issued a new decree organizing the Strategic Orientation Committee for Oil and Gas (COS-PETROGAZ) to give more space to the opposition, civil society, unions, and the national order of experts. I intend to ensure optimal and transparent exploitation of oil and gas resources for the benefit of the national economy and current and future generations. However, it must be recognized that no change, no rupture is possible in an environment of endemic corruption. If we want change, we must resolutely be ready to reform ourselves, in our behavior towards public goods, and in our way of serving the community.

That is why, beyond the modification of the law on the general status of the civil service, four (04) laws on transparency and good governance will be submitted to the national representation. They concern the protection of whistleblowers, the reform of the anti-corruption body, access to information, and the declaration of assets.

Regarding the declaration of assets, it will be generalized to all public service agents, without exception, as well as to all elective or appointive positions involving budget management, regardless of its importance. The modalities for publicity and updating of the submitted declarations will be defined by law. My dear compatriots, I am fully aware of the difficulties that Senegalese people have faced in recent years. That is why, in the face of high living costs and despite an extremely difficult economic situation, the government has taken concrete measures from the first weeks of my mandate to support local producers and reduce the price of essential goods.

On the other hand, the ongoing institutional reforms, including the abolition of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) and the High Council of Territorial Collectivities (HCCT), will continue throughout 2025. The restricted committee that I have already set up to identify the laws and decrees to be enacted or repealed is hard at work to materialize the strong consensus from the Justice Assizes. Moreover, the noted inflation of political parties, favored by a too lax application of the current texts, has led to excessive fragmentation and worrying inflation, detrimental to quality democratic breathing. In the near future, consultations on our political system will be held to bring more clarity, transparency, and rationalization.

All these reforms, like others, aim solely to bring the State closer to the citizens, to better address their aspirations, and to lay the foundations of a Senegal proud of its values and uncompromising on its sovereignty. Senegalese diplomacy, faithful to its doctrine, will continue to promote the ideals of peace and justice while providing active solidarity and support to oppressed peoples around the world. All friends of Senegal will be treated as strategic partners, within the framework of open, diversified, and uncomplexed cooperation.

As of now, I have instructed the Minister of the Armed Forces to propose a new doctrine of cooperation in defense and security, involving, among other consequences, the end of all foreign military presences in Senegal, starting in 2025. My dear compatriots, Let us take the time to look in the mirror of our history and our values, to remind ourselves who we are, where we come from, and where we aspire to go. Beyond reforms and policies, let us pause for a moment to deeply reflect on what unites us.

This existential requirement for unity and fraternity to build the future we want reminds us of the importance of this national communion around the same flame of hope, solidarity, and living together. It is in a spirit of humility and determination that we are building, stone by stone, the Senegal we want. This work requires the mobilization of all energies and relies on a spirit of solidarity, tolerance, self-giving, and self-transcendence. From the harshest trials of slavery to the contemporary struggles for independence and democracy, through colonization, we have consistently demonstrated unwavering resilience. It is in this spirit and out of a duty of memory, truth, and justice, that we commemorated for the first time the anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre. We wanted, on the one hand, to pay tribute to the victims and engrave their memory in our collective consciousness.

And, on the other hand, to lay the foundations for restoring historical truth about this tragic episode of our history. The same moral debt also commits us to the victims of the events that occurred between March 2021 and February 2024 and their families. We cannot seek the truth about events that occurred 80 years ago and accept the silence about the tragic events of the past four years. In doing so, it is not about taking revenge, but about rendering justice to the victims and their families, soothing them, and reaffirming the sanctity of human life. My dear compatriots, My deep conviction is that we are a unique people.

A people with roots deeply anchored in the diversity of our languages, customs, and values, but who have managed to make this diversity a great strength. With this heritage, it is up to us today to write a new chapter of our history, where our sovereignty is fully assumed, our justice truly experienced, and our prosperity shared by all: lu ñëpp bokk ñëpp jotci! For this, we must more than ever remember who we are. And we must wear the majestic mantle inherited from our predecessors, made of the precious values that we have committed to placing at the heart of our societal project and promoting.

As the guardian of institutions and guarantor of national unity, while encouraging the free, constructive, and plural expression of ideas, I will remain vigilant and uncompromising in the face of any threats to peace, stability, and our common good. Moreover, I keep in mind that we must combine firmness on principles and openness to preserve the balance of our democracy and the cohesion of our country. My dear compatriots, I am greatly concerned about the rise of communitarianism and hate speech that sometimes spread in traditional media and very often on social networks. These excesses nourish division and weaken the common foundation we have patiently built: social cohesion and stability, which are the very soul of our Nation.

We must all be aware that the sovereign, just, and prosperous Senegal we are working to materialize for the good of all will only come to fruition in unity. Aware that we are a people in competition with others, let us nurture the culture of good work and excellence, to prove to the world, through concrete achievements, that Senegal has the quality human resources to accomplish great things. To our ardent and creative youth, I encourage you to develop your talents, innovate, and open up to the world while remaining anchored in our values. Your energy and determination are the true engines of our country. The government will listen to you and be by your side to support and help you realize your potential, be useful to yourselves, your families, and your country. Together, let us prove that Senegal is a land of promise and possibility and build a united, sovereign, just, and prosperous Senegal for current and future generations.

Happy New Year 2025! May God bless Senegal and Africa!

Dewenëti!