In Senegal, former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko held a press conference on June 2 to clarify the Pastef party’s decision not to join the newly formed government, unveiled the day before by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s administration under Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lô.
Ousmane Sonko highlighted irreconcilable differences with the administration over political priorities and ministerial portfolio allocations. Key concerns included Senegal’s debt management strategy, judicial reforms, and fiscal transparency—areas where he sought firm commitments from the president but received vague assurances, particularly regarding International Monetary Fund (IMF) negotiations.
Unmet expectations on critical issues
The opposition leader stressed that responses from President Bassirou Diomaye Faye lacked substance. He noted that the president acknowledged no formal agreements with the IMF on debt restructuring and offered only conditional adjustments to subsidized goods to address rising living costs. On the judiciary, the president’s remarks were dismissive, with Ousmane Sonko calling the responses “half-hearted.”
Demands for balanced representation
Ousmane Sonko also condemned the new cabinet’s composition, which includes only five ministers from the Pastef ranks—though their legitimacy within the party is disputed. He reiterated that his movement would not accept a government where it could not secure at least half of the ministerial portfolios. Despite these tensions, he pledged not to initiate a no-confidence motion unless the administration took the first hostile step.
