What began as a dry official statement has revealed a deep political rupture at the highest levels of Senegal’s government. Just two years after their historic 2024 victory, the once-unbreakable partnership that symbolized a generational shift now stands fractured in full view of the public. With it, the most transformative political narrative Senegal has witnessed since the 2000 democratic shift may be unraveling.
The foundation of Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s rise to power was built on an unshakable pledge of loyalty. ‘Diomaye moy Sonko’—meaning ‘Sonko is Diomaye’ and ‘Diomaye is Sonko’ in Wolof—echoed through the streets of Dakar, Ziguinchor, and Thiès as young Senegalese supporters chanted their unwavering allegiance.
‘Diomaye moy Sonko’: from campaign slogan to political trap
Yet this unifying cry masked a growing divide. When Diomaye Faye took office in April 2024, he was not the initial choice of the Pastef party. Ousmane Sonko, barred from running due to a prior conviction, had designated his closest ally to carry the movement’s banner. The campaign slogan ‘Diomaye moy Sonko’ served as a strategic bridge, signaling to voters that electing Faye was equivalent to electing Sonko. The strategy proved devastatingly effective: buoyed by Sonko’s popularity, Faye secured a first-round victory with nearly 54% of the vote.
Once in office, the balance of power became increasingly unsustainable. While Sonko remained the de facto political force behind the regime, amplifying his presence with bold public statements and asserting that the ‘vision’ belonged first and foremost to the Pastef, Diomaye Faye began asserting his authority as head of state—particularly in matters of security and diplomacy. This gradual assertion of presidential independence was perceived by some in the Pastef as a departure from the movement’s founding principles.
A long-simmering fracture comes to a head
No official explanation accompanied the dismissal of the prime minister. Yet in Dakar, few were surprised. For months, signs of discord had intensified between the two leaders.
The president had grown increasingly frustrated with what he viewed as an excessive concentration of power in the hands of his prime minister. In early May, during a televised interview that served as a clear warning, Diomaye Faye publicly admonished his head of government: ‘As long as he remains prime minister, it is because he enjoys my confidence. When that is no longer the case, there will be a new prime minister.’
Sonko, for his part, showed no signs of backing down. As the undisputed leader of the Pastef and the majority party in the National Assembly following the November 2024 legislative elections, he continued to speak to grassroots supporters as the true custodian of the movement’s political project—a project born in opposition to former president Macky Sall.
Within the corridors of power, two factions had crystallized: the ‘legalists’ aligned with the president, advocating for an autonomous presidency, and the ‘Sonko loyalists’, who viewed Diomaye Faye as a temporary steward of the popular mandate embodied by Sonko.
By late 2025, the president had begun consolidating his own political apparatus around the ‘Diomaye Président’ movement, systematically reducing the influence of Sonko’s inner circle in key government circles. In response, Sonko’s camp escalated public warnings, accusing the president of drifting away from the Pastef’s original promises.
The adoption of the electoral reform law in late April—widely seen as paving the way for Sonko’s potential 2029 candidacy—acted as a final catalyst. In Dakar, many interpreted this as the unofficial launch of an early presidential campaign.
IMF, debt, and fuel subsidies: the economic fault lines
The most profound disagreement, however, centered on Senegal’s economic management. According to government and diplomatic sources in Dakar, negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had become a major flashpoint between the two leaders.
Upon assuming office, the new administration uncovered the true scale of Senegal’s debt burden, accusing former president Macky Sall of concealing a portion of the country’s public debt. The IMF subsequently suspended a $1.8 billion support program, forcing the government into delicate negotiations with international lenders.
Within the presidential circle, some criticized Sonko for advocating a stance deemed too rigid in the face of IMF demands—particularly regarding fiscal reforms and reductions to fuel subsidies. Conversely, Sonko’s allies accused the president’s camp of gradually abandoning the movement’s sovereignist and social promises.
The Minister of Finance, Cheikh Diba, had reportedly cautioned the executive about the rising cost of fuel subsidies amid the country’s escalating debt crisis. Observers in Dakar noted that disagreements over potential fuel price hikes had brought government operations to a near standstill.
Senegal’s debt now stands at 132% of GDP, according to IMF estimates—placing the country among the most indebted in sub-Saharan Africa.
The final straw: a speech that sealed Sonko’s fate
Just hours before his dismissal on Friday, Sonko delivered a defiant speech in the National Assembly. Addressing a recent law that toughened penalties for homosexuality, he condemned what he described as ‘Western tyranny’ attempting to ‘impose’ its values on Senegal.
The prime minister rejected any ‘moratorium’ on the law’s enforcement, framing it as a ‘diktat’ from foreign powers. While his remarks were met with applause from Pastef lawmakers, they reignited concerns among Senegal’s Western partners—particularly as Dakar sought to restore financial credibility with the IMF. In this tense climate, Diomaye Faye appears to have made his decisive move to reclaim control.
A charged night in Dakar
The presidential decree was barely announced before social media erupted. Outside Ousmane Sonko’s residence in Keur Gorgui, hundreds of supporters gathered through the night, chanting his name and denouncing what they called a ‘betrayal.’
Shortly after midnight, the former prime minister arrived at his home, where a crowd of supporters had already assembled. Some shouted his name; others condemned the dismissal as a ‘treason.’ Within minutes, Senegal’s social media landscape became a digital echo chamber of a rupture many had anticipated for months.
‘No prime minister has ever defied a president so openly. Sonko’s dismissal was inevitable,’ wrote Arthur Banga, an Ivorian political analyst, on social media.
Political figures quickly weighed in. Former Dakar mayor Barthélémy Dias called for calm while warning of a ‘severe institutional crisis.’ Franco-Spanish lawyer Juan Branco, a longtime ally of Sonko from the opposition era, went further, declaring it ‘the greatest betrayal in Senegalese history.’
The next morning’s headlines reflected the magnitude of the shock. One Dakar daily ran with ‘The Breaking Point,’ while another declared ‘Diomaye Takes Power.’ Others framed the event as ‘Farewell to the Duo’ or ‘Power Struggle at the Summit.’
Diplomatic observers in Dakar now watch the situation with growing unease. The rupture transcends a mere clash of egos; it signals the end of the fragile balance that enabled Senegal’s 2024 political shift after years of turmoil under Macky Sall—marked by deadly protests, mass arrests, and deep-seated distrust in institutions.
An unsustainable partnership
The current crisis lays bare a fundamental contradiction: Could Senegal’s government have endured with two centers of power? Diomaye Faye held the constitutional legitimacy of the presidency, while Ousmane Sonko wielded immense grassroots credibility, particularly among urban youth and Pastef cadres. For two years, the regime attempted to reconcile these forces. But in Senegal, where the presidency has historically concentrated political authority, such duality was never sustainable.
In May 2026, Diomaye Faye had publicly cautioned that the government risked succumbing to ‘personal ambitions.’ Weeks later, he reminded the nation that only he held the constitutional power to appoint—and dismiss—his prime minister. On Friday evening, he acted.
The split now ushers in a high-stakes chapter. While Sonko retains political control over the Pastef and the parliamentary majority, Diomaye Faye commands the state apparatus and the presidency. Between the two, the battle for 2029 has likely begun. Yet for many Senegalese, the greater concern lies elsewhere: mass youth unemployment, soaring living costs, record debt, and the unfulfilled promises of change. Beneath the clash of ambitions, many fear that the hope born of the 2024 political shift may dissolve into the fractures of power.
The president must now appoint a new prime minister, who will require parliamentary approval within three months of their nomination.
