Senegal's Political Transition Hinges on Fulfilling Economic Dreams of The Young

Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade, who was defeated at Sunday's elections, drove himself out of office. He was undone with the help of the youth who had propelled him to power in the first place, and he overrated his own tenacity, a quality that had enabled him to lead Senegal's opposition movement for decades. Over the past 10 years, the aspirations of young Senegalese have become increasingly focused on economic improvement, and Wade knew it. Speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2007, he bemoaned the slow pace at which international aid agencies were responding to Africa's infrastructure needs. He praised China's quick response and shifted much of his attention to the east.