Senegalese President Macky Sall restored the post of prime minister on Saturday, appointing Amadou Ba, the former economy minister, in the post. The president had abolished the post in 2019.
Amadou Ba, 61, was appointed according to a presidential decree. He was Minister of Economy and Finance (2013-2019) under Macky Sall, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad (2019-2020).
The president restored the position at a time when the West African country is struggling with economic crisis, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and partly because of the global fallout resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The outgoing government, in place since November 2020, had 33 ministers and four Secretaries of State.
In a speech on Friday, ahead of the appointment, Sall said, “Measures to reduce the cost of living and support employment and entrepreneurship for young people, the fight against floods and costly rents will remain the highest of priorities for me”.
Ba emphasized the president’s statements on Saturday. “The major priorities that the president has outlined include improving household purchasing power, taming inflation, security, housing, vocational training, employment and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Ba would serve the new ministry as its leader, created after Sall’s coalition narrowly prevailed in the parliamentary elections.
The opposition did not support Sall’s decision of scrapping the post of prime minister in 2019. The opposition and parts of civil society termed his move as an attempt to seize greater power.
Concerns over Ba’s rule persist, with some accusing him of intending to violate the two-term limit and run again in 2024.
