What was once heralded as a pioneering political alliance in Francophone sub-Saharan Africa has definitively unraveled in Senegal. The formidable partnership between Ousmane Sonko, the political mentor, and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, his protégé and a staunch opponent of former President Macky Sall, forged ahead of the 2024 presidential election, regrettably devolved into a bitter confrontation, culminating in a dramatic split on the night of May 22, 2026.
Indeed, on Friday, May 22, just before 10 PM, the Senegalese populace was taken aback by a brief, unexpected address broadcast by the Senegalese Radio and Television (RTS) directly from the Presidential Palace in Dakar. Oumar Samba Ba, the Secretary-General of the Presidency, announced the immediate dismissal of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. Concurrently, all members of the sitting government were relieved of their duties.
“By decree n°2026-1128 of May 22, 2026, the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has terminated the functions of Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister, and consequently, those of the ministers and secretaries of state, members of the government. The outgoing government members are tasked with managing current affairs,” Oumar Samba Ba formally declared.
Upon learning of his dismissal, Ousmane Sonko swiftly responded on the social media platform Facebook, stating: “Tonight, I will sleep with a light heart.”
Just hours prior to this pivotal announcement, Ousmane Sonko had addressed the National Assembly, responding to queries from deputies with a pointed remark: “I am not a Prime Minister who blindly obeys and assents to everything.”
It is important to recall that underlying tensions had been palpably building over recent months between the two executive leaders, who had jointly ascended to power in 2024. Their political disagreements had increasingly become public knowledge. For instance, only a few weeks earlier, during a press briefing with national media, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had notably indicated that he could “terminate the functions of his Prime Minister as soon as he no longer had confidence in him.” The line, it seems, was definitively crossed that evening.
The immediate question now revolves around the future trajectory of power in Senegal, especially considering that the next significant political milestones — local elections — are not scheduled until 2027, with the next presidential election slated for 2029.
