DAKAR, Senegal- President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved Senegal’s government, marking a dramatic political fallout between two leaders who rose to power together in 2024 on a wave of anti-establishment support.
The decision, announced on state television late Friday, comes after months of mounting tensions between Faye and Sonko, once close allies within the ruling PASTEF party.
According to a statement read by presidency secretary-general Oumar Samba Ba, all ministers were dismissed, although the outgoing administration will continue handling day-to-day government affairs until a new cabinet is formed.
The political shake-up has plunged Senegal into fresh uncertainty at a time when the West African nation is already struggling with a debt crisis and difficult negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
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.
In recent months, Sonko had hinted that PASTEF could reconsider its participation in government if the administration drifted away from the party’s original reform agenda.
Despite the dismissal, Sonko appeared calm in his initial reaction, posting on social media that he would “sleep with a light heart” following the announcement.
The political crisis is expected to complicate ongoing economic reforms in Senegal, especially after the government uncovered what it described as hidden debt and financial irregularities inherited from the previous administration.
Faye and Sonko had previously built their popularity around promises to fight corruption, renegotiate energy and mining contracts, and reduce foreign influence in Senegalese affairs.
Sonko, one of Africa’s most prominent populist politicians, gained widespread support among young Senegalese through his anti-establishment and pan-African messaging.
The latest developments now raise questions about the future of Senegal’s ruling coalition and the stability of reforms championed by the PASTEF movement since taking power.
Political analysts say the dismissal could reshape Senegal’s political landscape ahead of the 2029 presidential election, especially after recent legal reforms potentially reopened the door for Sonko to contest the presidency in the future.
