Abass Fall: New Mayor of Dakar
Dakar, the capital of Senegal, has a new leader in the person of Mr. Abass Fall. Officially installed as mayor on 10 September 2025, he was elected by the city council during an extraordinary session on 25 August 2025.
In his inaugural speech, the new mayor placed his mandate under the banner of dialogue and appeasement. For Abass Fall, it is only ‘through unity and collective discipline’ that Dakar can become ‘a more modern, inclusive and resilient capital’.
His programme covers sanitation, urban mobility, culture, education, environment and social action. ‘We will give ourselves the means to transform the face of our city in a sustainable way in all areas that fall within the remit of the municipal authorities.’
The new mayor has made performance the central objective of his municipal administration. ‘The municipal council must strive for performance in order to make Dakar a high-performing municipality,’ he emphasised. According to him, this performance will require ‘organisation in the broadest sense of the term, with everything that is needed in terms of human, logistical, financial and other resources’, in particular by raising the level of municipal workers.
On 22 September 2025, he made a solemn appeal to the people of Dakar. In it, he pledged to be ‘without reserve and without distinction, the mayor of all the people of Dakar.’ He also promised to work closely with his counterparts in the ‘nineteen municipalities of Dakar, each of which is, within its territory, the legitimate representative of the people of Dakar.’
Abass Fall has outlined four strategic priorities for his term of office: making Dakar an economic and socially inclusive city, an international capital, a hub of creativity and digital innovation, and a smart city focused on sustainability and quality of life.
He wants to place young people, women, older people and people with disabilities at the heart of municipal policy.
He invites Dakar’s youth to get involved in preparing for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. ‘Dakar will be the capital of the world’s youth on this occasion. These games will be yours. They will embody your energy, your creativity, and your thirst for the future.’
‘The time has come to overcome divisions and unite around what matters most: the well-being of our people and the greatness of our capital. Together, we have the means to make Dakar an exemplary, modern and humane city, a beacon for all of Africa,’ reads the last page of the appeal.