Ousmane Diagne (b. March 1979) was elected mayor of Thiès-Est in 2022, under the banner of the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition, affiliated with PASTEF. Trained as a court clerk, he was already a well-known and trusted figure in local political life. He was elected with a determination to serve the needs of the people rather than any other interests. During his term he has proved to be an effective leader, taking practical steps to implement his vision, especially regarding health and education: he has created new health posts and improve learning conditions for primary school students.
Global South Watch met him in his office in Thiès-Est in August 2025. There he shared with Eric Agnero and Janet Biehl his guiding principles on education, democracy, and the participation of women in political life. We are uploading the interview piece by piece onto our YouTube channel this week—be sure to watch it there!
In our interview, the mayor recalls growing up in a working-class family, when free public education offered children like him their only real path out of poverty. Despite difficult living conditions, he succeeded through Senegal’s public school system. Today, his administration wants to give the same opportunity to children who live without electricity or running water, study beneath streetlights, or arrive at school hungry. The municipality has therefore created school meal programs and helps provide supplies, equipment, and computers so that families are not burdened with additional school fees. Education and healthcare, he explains, are the municipality’s highest priorities.
The mayor also observes that education must prepare young people for employment. A student can spend many years in the Senegalese school system and still graduate without a practical skill or professional qualification. His administration therefore wants to expand technical and vocational training, including for young people educated in Quranic schools. Students should be able to learn trades such as refrigeration, metalworking, and mechanics in Wolof, Pulaar, Serer, Mandinka, or another language they understand. The goal is for young people to leave school with both an education and a marketable skill that will help them find work.
UPDATE: In June 2026, the president of the republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, appointed Mayor Diagne as Minister Delegate to the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock, responsible for Livestock. Even though Diagne now holds this position in the national government, he continues to serve as Thies-Est mayor.
The Autonomous Union of Livestock Workers of Senegal (SATES) welcomed Diagne’s appointment, looking forward to initiatives to strengthen the sustainable development of the livestock sector, improve working conditions, and promote food sovereignty.
