Senegal: President Faye Dismisses Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye “has terminated the duties” of his Prime Minister and former mentor Ousmane Sonko, as well as those of his government, by decree on Friday evening, following months of tensions between the two men.

According to a statement read on national television by the Secretary General of the Presidency, Oumar Samba Ba, the president “has ended the duties of Mr. Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister, and consequently those of the ministers and secretaries of state who are members of the government.”

“The members of the outgoing government are tasked with handling current affairs,” the statement continued.

A fierce opponent of former President Macky Sall (2012–2024), Mr. Sonko had been prevented from running in the February 2024 presidential election after being convicted of defamation, which led to the loss of his civil rights, amid a wave of popular protests against President Macky Sall and the possibility of him seeking a third term.

Mr. Sonko then designated Bassirou Diomaye Faye to replace him. Since Mr. Faye’s election, tensions have steadily increased between the president and his former mentor and charismatic prime minister, whose considerable influence helped bring the duo to power.

With his pan-Africanist rhetoric, Ousmane Sonko had inspired passionate support among Senegal’s disillusioned youth ahead of the 2024 presidential election and after months of confrontation with Macky Sall’s government.

“Alhamdulillah. Tonight I will sleep with a light heart in Keur Gorgui,” the Dakar neighborhood where his home is located, Mr. Sonko reacted immediately on his Facebook account.

On social media, videos showed Sonko supporters gathering outside his residence and chanting his name, moments after the announcement of his dismissal from government.

For several months, tensions between the head of state and the head of government had become increasingly public, making the prospect of their cooperation more and more uncertain.

Mr. Sonko’s party, PASTEF, largely dominates the Senegalese National Assembly after winning an overwhelming majority in the November 2024 legislative elections.