Her Excellency Ramatoulaye Ba Faye, Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal to the Netherlands, delivered a remarkable lecture in French to the Africa Table at Sociëteit De Witte on 9 September 2025. Her presentation, titled “Successful Electoral Transition: Building on the Positive Experience of Senegal,” offered a masterful and deeply insightful overview of Senegal’s modern political evolution.
Addressing an audience that included the Ambassador of Venezuela, a former Dutch Ambassador to Senegal, writers, politicians, retired public servants, and members of De Witte with a keen interest in Africa, Ambassador Ba Faye created a uniquely personal and interactive exchange. She carefully explained the foundations of Senegal’s political stability, highlighting how the country’s democratic system—one of the most resilient in Africa—has advanced through consensus, negotiation, and respect for institutional continuity.
The Ambassador detailed Senegal’s transition from decades of single-party dominance to a competitive multi-party system, underscoring the significance of the 2016 constitutional reform that limited presidential mandates to two consecutive five-year terms. This evolution, she emphasized, occurred not through coercion but through dialogue among political actors and a commitment to democratic principles. Senegal’s history of peacekeeping, regional mediation, and constitutional reform contextualizes the democratic transition culminating in the election of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who took office in April 2024.
Franck Diafouka, Founder and Chair of the Africa Table, welcomed the invited guests to Sociëteit De Witte. He recalled that the Africa Table operates under the Chatham House Rule and serves as an engaged multidisciplinary forum exploring the issues, dynamics, and opportunities shaping the African continent. Its debates—held quarterly in English or French—bring together academics, practitioners, and experts from diverse fields, from culture and philosophy to diplomacy, economics, and security.
The next Africa Table keynote will be delivered by H.E. Mr. Vusi Madonsela, Ambassador of South Africa, on Tuesday 13 January 2026.
On 18 November 2025, the Africa Table also hosted a panel discussion on “The Future of Architecture in Africa,” featuring architects Ms. Hilary Lukose (Kenya/UK), Mr. Steve Dingui (Ivory Coast/France), and Mr. Miguel Correia (Portugal).
