A significant political development has unfolded in Senegal as President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced the termination of his Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, on Friday, May 22. This pivotal decision follows months of escalating friction between the two influential figures, who together rose to power in April 2024 on a wave of immense public optimism.
The presidential decree, formally communicated via national television by the Secretary-General of the Presidency, declared that President Faye had “concluded the mandate of Mr. Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister, and consequently, that of all ministers and secretaries of state within the government.” The statement further instructed that “the members of the outgoing government are to oversee routine administrative matters.” No immediate details were provided regarding the selection of a successor for the Prime Minister’s office.
Since their election, a palpable tension had been building between President Faye and his former mentor, the widely popular Prime Minister Sonko, whose considerable sway was crucial in securing their joint victory. Ousmane Sonko, a staunch critic of former President Macky Sall (who governed from 2012 to 2024), was barred from contesting the 2024 presidential election due to a defamation conviction that led to the revocation of his civil rights. It was then that he endorsed Bassirou Diomaye Faye to run in his stead.
However, by early May, President Faye had openly criticized what he termed the “excessive personalization” of his Prime Minister within the ruling party. In a televised interview, he had asserted, “As long as he remains Prime Minister, it is because he retains my confidence. Should that change, a new Prime Minister will be appointed.” Reacting swiftly to his dismissal on Friday, Ousmane Sonko posted on his Facebook account, “Alhamdoulillah. Tonight I will sleep with a light heart in Cité Keur Gorgui,” referencing his residential area in Dakar.
