In a decisive move that has sent shockwaves through Senegal’s political landscape, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, ending a partnership forged in shared struggle and dashed electoral hopes.
The announcement, delivered via a televised statement by the presidential secretary-general Oumar Samba Ba, declared Sonko’s removal from office along with the entire government. The outgoing ministers are now tasked with managing current affairs until further notice.
While the president offered no immediate explanation for the decision, tensions between the two leaders had been escalating for months. Sonko, once Faye’s mentor and a charismatic opposition figure, played a pivotal role in securing their electoral victory in April 2024 under the slogan “Diomaye Moy Sonko”—“Diomaye is Sonko” in Wolof.
Sonko’s political rise was marked by confrontation. Before his 2024 candidacy was blocked due to a defamation conviction, he had spent years as a vocal critic of former President Macky Sall, leading mass protests against a disputed third-term bid. His release from prison under a general amnesty paved the way for Faye’s election victory.
Even after assuming office, Sonko continued to court controversy. In a fiery parliamentary speech, he accused Western powers of attempting to impose homosexuality on Africa, just weeks after Senegal toughened penalties for same-sex relationships in the predominantly Muslim nation.
The rift between Faye and Sonko deepened in early May when the president publicly rebuked what he called the “excessive personalization” of power within their party. “As long as he remains Prime Minister, it is because he has my trust. When that is no longer the case, there will be a new Prime Minister,” Faye stated in a televised interview.
Sonko’s party, which commands a majority in the National Assembly following the 2024 legislative elections, recently pushed through an electoral reform bill critics claim paves the way for his 2029 presidential run. Meanwhile, President Faye, despite lacking Sonko’s mass appeal, has cultivated support through the “Diomaye Président” movement, raising speculation about his own ambitions for the next election.
Senegal’s economic backdrop adds urgency to the political upheaval. The International Monetary Fund ranks the country as the second most indebted in Sub-Saharan Africa, with public debt exceeding 132% of GDP—a burden inherited from the previous administration. Accusations of financial mismanagement led to the suspension of a $1.8 billion IMF aid program in 2024.
Spontaneous celebration erupts
Within hours of the announcement, Sonko took to social media to express relief: “Alhamdoulillah. Tonight, I will sleep peacefully in Keur Gorgui.” The former PM returned to his Dakar residence, where hundreds of supporters gathered to cheer him, their chants filling the night air.
