After months of mounting political tensions, Senegal has entered a new phase of uncertainty following President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s decision to dismiss Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The move marks the definitive end of a partnership that once symbolized an innovative political experiment in West Africa. Sonko, founder of the Pastef party, has swiftly regrouped by leveraging his party’s overwhelming parliamentary majority, turning the National Assembly into a platform for institutional opposition.
An executive cohabitation that collapsed under pressure
The Diomaye-Sonko tandem, forged after the March 2024 presidential election, was supposed to represent a balanced leadership model: institutional legitimacy for the president, and political influence and grassroots support for the prime minister. Yet this model, hailed as a democratic milestone, proved unsustainable. As President Faye consolidated his authority, the space for Sonko’s role steadily diminished. The rigid constitutional framework of Senegal, where the head of state holds ultimate power, left no room for a shared sovereignty arrangement in a system where both leaders claimed democratic legitimacy.
The growing fractures stemmed from divergent visions on key issues: the pace of reforms, handling legal cases inherited from the previous administration, economic policy, and the implementation of campaign promises. While the president asserted his executive leadership, the prime minister’s influence waned, culminating in an inevitable rupture.
Sonko’s parliamentary pivot: a calculated shift in power
Far from fading into the background, Ousmane Sonko has repositioned himself strategically within the National Assembly. His party’s strong majority—secured in the legislative elections—now serves as a powerful tool to challenge the presidency. This tactic echoes historical precedents across Africa, where leaders sidelined from government have used parliamentary influence to maintain political relevance. For President Faye, the challenge is now acute: navigating a legislature still aligned with his former prime minister will severely limit his ability to pass laws, approve budgets, and implement reforms promised to voters.
Senegal’s future hangs in the balance
Beyond personal rivalry, this rupture raises critical questions about the future of Senegal’s sovereignist agenda. Key policy areas—such as renegotiating oil and gas contracts, revisiting the CFA franc arrangement, auditing public finances, and reshaping migration policy—now face uncertainty. International partners, including the International Monetary Fund and investors in major projects like the Sangomar and Grand Tortue Ahmeyim fields, will closely monitor the country’s political stability. Senegal, long viewed as a democratic anchor in the region, risks seeing its regional influence diluted just as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) struggles to regain cohesion after the withdrawal of Sahelian states from the Alliance of Sahel States.
The president’s next move—forming a new government that can restore stability—will determine whether Senegal can weather this storm. Alternatively, Sonko’s loyal base within the Pastef party may take to the streets, further escalating tensions. Either way, the country is entering uncharted political territory that will shape its second democratic transition.
