In Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye has declared victory in Sunday’s presidential election. His main rival, former Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba, called Faye to concede Monday after provisional results put Faye at over 53% of the vote. Faye, who turned 44 on Monday, will become Africa’s youngest elected president. He has vowed to fight corruption and poverty and to direct Senegal’s revenue from natural resources to provide better economic opportunities for residents. Faye spoke Monday from the capital Dakar.

President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye: “The Senegalese people have chosen to break with the past, to give substance to the immense hopes raised by our vision of society. I hope that our vision of society has given substance to their aspirations. I pledge to govern with humility and transparency and to fight corruption at all levels. I pledge to devote myself fully to rebuilding our institutions and strengthening the foundations of our way of life together.”

Bassirou Diomaye Faye is backed by the popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. Until recently, the two men were sitting in prison cells, but they were released just 10 days before the election after outgoing President Macky Sall granted the pair amnesty.