A political upheaval of unprecedented scale has sent shockwaves across Senegal and the wider sub-region. On Friday, May 22, 2026, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially terminated the mandate of his Prime Minister and political mentor, Ousmane Sonko. This decisive action immediately dissolves the government and marks an abrupt end to the executive partnership that has steered the nation since the change of power in April 2024.
Decree n°2026-1128: the official act of separation
The reverberations were felt throughout the evening following the release of a significant official document. President Faye signed presidential decree number 2026-1128 this Friday, May 22, 2026, bringing an immediate conclusion to Ousmane Sonko’s responsibilities at the helm of government. To formalize this split, Bassirou Diomaye Faye rigorously invoked the powers enshrined in Senegal’s fundamental law, specifically articles 42, 43, 53, and 56 of the Constitution.
This legal framework establishes the President as the guardian of the Constitution, ensuring the proper functioning of state institutions and granting him the discretionary authority to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister. Article one of the decree unequivocally states that « the functions of Mr. Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal, are hereby terminated ».
In accordance with article 2, the implementation is immediate. Through a constitutional ripple effect, the departure of the head of government automatically triggers the resignation of all ministers and secretaries of state. However, the decree specifies that members of the outgoing cabinet are tasked with managing day-to-day affairs pending the appointment of a new ministerial team.
« Diomaye, c’est Sonko »: origins of an unprecedented partnership
To grasp the full impact of this seismic event in Africa politics English, it is crucial to recall the exceptionally close and unique bond that united these two men. Ousmane Sonko, the charismatic leader of the PASTEF party, had spearheaded a fierce opposition against the Macky Sall administration. Facing relentless judicial pressure and his definitive disqualification from the presidential race by the Constitutional Council in early 2024, Sonko made a strategically brilliant move.
While sharing the same prison cell following widespread political arrests, Ousmane Sonko designated his secretary general and most loyal lieutenant, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, as the substitute candidate for their systemic change agenda.
Propelled by the iconic slogan « Diomaye, c’est Sonko », the substitute candidate became the focal point for the popular enthusiasm surrounding the party leader. Freed under an amnesty law just days before the election, the two men conducted a lightning-fast campaign, leading Bassirou Diomaye Faye to a triumphant first-round victory on March 24, 2024.
Immediately after his swearing-in on April 2, 2024, the newly elected president appointed Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister via decree n°2024-921. For the first time in African news today, a political mentor became the institutional subordinate of his own protégé, establishing an unparalleled dual-headed governance structure.
The seeds of discord: from unity to friction
While the illusion of perfect harmony was long maintained through public declarations, the realities of state power quickly exposed the limitations of this two-headed operation, causing subtly diverging visions to clash over the months.
On one side, Ousmane Sonko retained his core identity as a sovereignist theoretician and orator, frequently delivering direct and assertive statements on international affairs, the renegotiation of mining and oil contracts, and a break with traditional partners. On the other, President Faye found himself directly confronting the practicalities of macroeconomic management, regional diplomacy, and the absolute necessity of reassuring financial markets.
The initial visible cracks emerged during the government readjustment on September 6, 2025, formalized by the signing of decree n°2025-430, which set the new composition of the cabinet. This reshuffle, far from easing tensions, highlighted internal power struggles for control over key ministries between the Prime Minister’s long-standing loyalists and technocrats promoted by the head of state.
Ultimately, this political cohabitation between a President holding constitutional legitimacy and a head of government embodying historical popular legitimacy reignited the
