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Senegal elections: Daily life in a fishing village

The 大象传媒's James Copnall speaks to people in the fishing village, Fass Boye.

The man who's set to become Senegal's youngest-ever president has promised to bring reconciliation after weeks of political turmoil. Bassirou Diomaye Faye secured a first-round majority in Sunday's election. At 44, Mr Faye will become Senegal's youngest head of state.

Remarkably, just two weeks ago, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was in jail, but was released under a new amnesty law which was rushed through. He had to run a last minute campaign as a substitution candidate for his party leader Ousmane Sonko, who was not eligible to run.

Among the challenges the President-elect will face is youth unemployment in the west African nation.

Many young Senegalese complain about a lack of opportunities in the country and some try to make the dangerous journey across the sea to Europe. But that often ends in disaster.

The people of the fishing village of Fass Boye, around a three hour drive from Dakar, know all about that. The villagers are still mourning more than 60 people who died, after they ran out of food and water as they tried to make it to the Canary Islands.

The 大象传媒's James Copnall has been to Fass Boye and hears what people want from their next president.

(Photo: Arouna Baye, Fass Boye resident. Credit: James Copnall/大象传媒)

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5 minutes