On Friday evening, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye removed Ousmane Sonko, his Prime Minister and former political ally, from office. This decision follows months of escalating friction between the two leaders, who ascended to power in April 2024 amidst widespread public optimism.
In a formal announcement broadcast on national television by presidential secretary-general Oumar Samba Ba, President Faye declared that he had “terminated the duties of Mr. Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister, and consequently those of the ministers and secretaries of state who were members of the government.”
The statement further specified that “the members of the outgoing government are tasked with handling current affairs.”
No immediate information was provided regarding the appointment of a new Prime Minister.
Since Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s election, tensions have steadily risen between the President and his charismatic former mentor, whose significant influence was instrumental in bringing the duo to power.
A staunch critic of former President Macky Sall (2012-2024), Ousmane Sonko was barred from running in the 2024 presidential election after a defamation conviction led to the loss of his civil rights. Mr. Sonko subsequently designated Bassirou Diomaye Faye as his replacement in the electoral race.
With a strong pan-Africanist message, Ousmane Sonko had captivated Senegal’s disillusioned youth in the lead-up to the election, following months of confrontation with Macky Sall’s administration, which had violently suppressed protests against him and the possibility of a third term for Sall.
Fresh out of prison due to an amnesty law designed to ease several years of political unrest, the two men campaigned under the slogan “Diomaye Moy Sonko,” meaning “Diomaye is Sonko” in Wolof.
Spontaneous Gathering
“Alhamdoulillah. Tonight I will sleep with a light heart in Cité Keur Gorgui,” the Dakar neighborhood where his home is located, Mr. Sonko immediately posted on his Facebook account.
Hundreds of Mr. Sonko’s supporters converged on his residence Friday evening to cheer him following the announcement of his removal from government.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister had criticized the “tyranny” of the West, which he claimed sought to “impose [homosexuality] on the rest of the world” before Parliament. This came weeks after the adoption of a law toughening penalties against homosexual relations in this predominantly Muslim West African nation.
For several months, the strain between the head of state and the head of government had become increasingly apparent, making the prospect of their continued collaboration uncertain.
At the beginning of the month, the head of state had publicly criticized his Prime Minister’s “excessive personalization” within the ruling party.
“As long as he remains Prime Minister, it is because he benefits from my trust. When that is no longer the case, there will be a new Prime Minister,” President Faye had stated in a televised interview.
Mr. Sonko’s party holds a significant majority in the Senegalese National Assembly, having secured an overwhelming victory in the November 2024 legislative elections.
Weeks ago, Parliament paved the way for Ousmane Sonko’s candidacy in the next presidential election in 2029 by adopting an electoral code reform, which was then promulgated by the President. Opposition groups, however, denounced the law as being specifically crafted to benefit Mr. Sonko.
Senegal’s Supreme Court had rejected an appeal by Mr. Sonko in July 2025, when he was already Prime Minister since April 2024, against his conviction, reigniting debate over his eligibility.
Nevertheless, Mr. Sonko was elected as a deputy in the November 2024 legislative elections before resigning his mandate to remain Prime Minister. His party asserts this action confirms his eligibility. Local elections are scheduled for 2027, preceding the presidential vote in 2029.
Mr. Faye, who does not command the same popular enthusiasm as the Pastef leader, has nevertheless been gathering support for several months through the “Diomaye Président” movement, hinting at a potential candidacy for 2029.
Since their arrival in power, the nation’s leaders have had to contend with a challenging economic situation, inheriting a massive debt from the previous administration. This debt reached the equivalent of 132% of its GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), positioning Senegal as the second most indebted country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2024, the new government, formed after the opposition’s electoral victory, accused the former President Macky Sall’s administration of concealing the true extent of this alarming budgetary situation, which led to the suspension of an IMF aid program worth 1.8 billion dollars.
