AfricaNews Monitoring Team with files from BBC
The winner of Senegal's presidential election, Macky Sall, has said the poll marks a "new era" for the country. He was speaking after his rival, current President Abdoulaye Wade, admitted defeat in Sunday's run-off. Macky won with about 65% for Mr Sall and 35% for Mr Wade
Mr Wade's bid for a third term in office sparked violent protests which left six people dead.
Speaking in front of thousands of cheering supporters in the capital Dakar, Mr Sall, 50, promised to be a president for all Senegalese.
Official results from Sunday's election are expected within two days.
President Nicolas Sarkozy of Senegal's former colonial ruler, France, hailed the result as being "good news for Africa in general and for Senegal in particular".
"Senegal is a major African country and a model of democracy," he said.
The election comes just days after a military coup in neighbouring Mali.
Senegal remains the only country in West Africa to have never undergone a coup.
Thijs Berman, the head of the European Union observer mission to Senegal, said the results were very clear - about 65% for Mr Sall and 35% for Mr Wade so "there is no hesitation as to who is the winner".
Mr Sall stressed that the people were the main winners in the poll.
Mr Wade had "phoned his rival Macky Sall at 21:30 GMT [on Sunday] to congratulate him after the first results showed him to be the winner of a presidential run-off," the Senegalese Press Agency said.
Mr Wade, 85, has governed Senegal for 12 years.
Even before Mr Wade's concession, thousands of Sall supporters began celebrating on the streets of Dakar.
They chanted "Macky president!" and "We have won!"
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