Nigeria, April 11 -- The words of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye were honey to taste. Following the bitter ending of the 12-year rule of Macky Sall, highlighted by the widespread belief that France is at the heart of Senegal's misery, a forlorn country enthusiastically lapped up Faye's promise of a future untainted by French shenanigans.

At a stage, it was not clear who was the public enemy

#1: Sall or France?

Sall started well. He came to office in 2012 with solid credentials, looking every inch like what Senegal needed to break away from the incompetence and cronyism of Abdoulaye Wade under whom the country had lost its way.

Sall was an elite with a strong connection to the grassroots. He rallied the opposition against Wade includi...