Ousmane Sonko, former Prime Minister and leader of Senegal’s Pastef party, held a press conference on Tuesday, June 2, to clarify why his movement declined to join the newly formed government announced the day before by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

Sonko emphasized that fundamental disagreements prevented consensus between his party and the administration. Key sticking points included the government’s approach to Senegal‘s debt strategy, judicial reforms, and economic policies aimed at improving purchasing power.

The Pastef leader stated that he sought assurances from President Faye regarding the management of public finances and debt restructuring negotiations with the IMF, but found the responses unsatisfactory. “The president and his finance minister confirmed no commitments have been made regarding debt restructuring,” Sonko remarked.

“All answers were lukewarm”

Sonko criticized the administration’s stance on economic policies, noting that while partial price adjustments for subsidized goods were mentioned, no concrete measures were outlined. “They acknowledged that price adjustments would be applied ‘as much as possible,’ but provided no clear framework,” he explained.

Regarding the distribution of ministerial portfolios, Sonko made it clear that the Pastef would not accept a government role unless granted at least half of the cabinet positions. The new administration includes only five ministers from his party, though these individuals are not recognized by the Pastef.

Despite the tensions, Sonko avoided calling for a vote of no confidence, stating, “We won’t initiate a motion unless the president and his team take hostile actions against us first.”