In a move that has sent shockwaves through Dakar’s political landscape, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dismissed his Prime Minister and former ally Ousmane Sonko, capping months of escalating tensions between the two leaders who rose to power together in April 2024 on a wave of public euphoria.
The announcement came via a televised statement delivered by the presidential secretary-general Oumar Samba Ba, who declared that “the functions of Mr. Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister, and consequently those of all ministers and state secretaries within the government, have been terminated.” The outgoing cabinet has been instructed to handle only routine administrative matters until further notice.
No timeline has been provided for the appointment of a successor to lead the government.
Since assuming office, President Faye’s relationship with his former mentor and charismatic Prime Minister has steadily deteriorated. Sonko’s significant influence was instrumental in bringing the political duo to power, but their once-close partnership has frayed under the weight of divergent visions for Senegal’s future.
Sonko’s political journey to this crossroads has been marked by controversy. A vocal opponent of former President Macky Sall, he was barred from contesting the 2024 presidential election due to a defamation conviction that stripped him of his civil rights. He subsequently endorsed Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s candidacy, a strategic move that ultimately secured their victory under the campaign slogan “Diomaye Moy Sonko”—”Diomaye is Sonko” in Wolof.
With a fiery panafricanist rhetoric, Sonko galvanized the disillusioned youth of Senegal during a turbulent period of repression under Macky Sall’s administration, which violently cracked down on protests against his potential bid for a controversial third term.
Ousmane Sonko, Senegal’s former Prime Minister, addressed his supporters outside his Dakar residence following his dismissal on May 23, 2026.
Spontaneous celebrations erupt in Dakar
“Alhamdoulillah. Tonight I will sleep with a light heart in Keur Gorgui,” Sonko wrote on Facebook shortly after the announcement. Within hours, hundreds of jubilant supporters had gathered outside his residence to welcome him, their chants filling the night air.
Earlier that day, the former Prime Minister had taken to the parliamentary floor to condemn what he described as Western “tyranny,” accusing foreign powers of attempting to “impose homosexuality” on the world. This came just weeks after Senegal’s predominantly Muslim nation had passed legislation toughening penalties for same-sex relations.
The rift between the head of state and the head of government had become increasingly visible in recent months. In early May, President Faye publicly criticized the “excessive personalization” of power within the ruling party by his Prime Minister.
“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,” the president stated during a televised interview.
Sonko’s party maintains a dominant presence in Senegal’s National Assembly following the November 2024 legislative elections. Late last month, parliament approved an electoral code reform that opponents argue paves the way for Sonko’s potential presidential run in 2029.
While President Faye lacks the same level of popular enthusiasm as his former rival, he has been consolidating support through the “Diomaye Président” movement, hinting at his own ambitions for the 2029 race.
Senegal faces significant economic challenges, with the International Monetary Fund recently ranking it as the second most indebted country in sub-Saharan Africa. The debt burden, inherited from the previous administration, now stands at 132% of GDP.
In 2024, the new government accused the Macky Sall administration of concealing this financial reality, leading to the suspension of a $1.8 billion IMF assistance program.
