Prime minister of Senegal and mentor to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Widely seen as the government's driving force. He was barred from running for president after a conviction for sexual misconduct, a ruling he says was politically motivated.
Before taking office he promised to abandon the West African Economic Monetary Union, castigating it as an instrument of French control. In power, he has insisted Senegal can recover from its debt crisis without IMF-mandated austerity. In late 2025 he rejected an IMF plan, saying it offended Senegal's dignity.
It is better to never have tried anything than to have tried something and failed.