Senegal’s political crisis deepened after the Speaker of Parliament, El Malick Ndiaye, resigned just two days after the dismissal of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, following sweeping changes ordered by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Ndiaye, a senior member of the ruling PASTEF, said on Sunday that his resignation was a personal choice, citing the “higher interest of the nation” as the basis for stepping down.
The development comes after President Faye on Friday dismissed Sonko and dissolved the government amid intensifying political and economic tensions between the two leaders, whose alliance had delivered their 2024 electoral victory.
Once close political partners, Faye and Sonko have increasingly fallen out over governance direction, with rising economic pressures—including debt challenges and regional fallout linked to the Iran war—further straining their relationship.
Parliament is now expected to sit on Tuesday to consider reinstating Sonko as a legislator and to elect a new Speaker of the National Assembly to replace Ndiaye, moves that could further reshape the country’s power structure.
However, some critics argue that reinstating Sonko would be unlawful, insisting he has never formally served as a member of parliament.
Sonko, a charismatic opposition figure with a strong youth following, played a crucial role in Faye’s rise to power. After being barred from contesting the 2024 presidential election because of a defamation conviction, Sonko backed Faye as the PASTEF candidate.
Faye went on to win the presidency in a historic election that ended the rule of former President Macky Sall’s coalition. Soon after taking office, Faye appointed Sonko as prime minister.
However, relations between the two leaders reportedly deteriorated over economic policy, governance style and disagreements surrounding IMF-backed reforms aimed at restructuring Senegal’s debt.
Reuters reported that Sonko had opposed some financial measures linked to IMF negotiations, while publicly expressing frustration over Faye’s leadership direction.
