Senegal: Macky Sall inaugurated as President

Newly inaugurated Senegal President., Macky Sall. PHOTO/File

Senegal’s new president Macky Sall has taken the oath of office, ushering in the country’s first new leader in 12 years.

Hundreds gathered Monday at a hotel in Dakar the capital of Senegal, for the inauguration celebration, including heads of state from neighbouring West African states who planned to hold a summit on Mali later in the day.

Sall won last month’s presidential runoff vote in a landslide, trouncing the incumbent president who had been in power for more than a decade.

The peaceful election was widely praised after incumbent Abdoulaye Wade conceded defeat hours after the polls closed.

His popularity sank amid growing power cuts, unemployment and food prices. Sall, a former prime minister, inherits these same problems amid high expectations for change.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.