The political storm that had been brewing in Senegal for months has finally broken. In Dakar, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has terminated the mandate of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, bringing to an end a partnership at the helm of the executive that looked increasingly fragile. The former head of government, founder and leader of the Pastef party, has since shifted his focus to the parliamentary arena, where his party holds a solid majority following the early legislative elections.
An unworkable cohabitation at the top
The Diomaye-Sonko duo represented an unusual political experiment in West Africa after the March 2024 presidential election. Faye, who stepped in as a substitute candidate following his mentor’s disqualification, had pledged to govern as a team. The arrangement relied on a delicate balance: institutional legitimacy for the president, grassroots authority and party leadership for the prime minister. This setup, celebrated by supporters as a democratic innovation, carried within it the seeds of its own unraveling.
Over time, tensions mounted over reform policies, the handling of legal cases inherited from Macky Sall’s administration, economic strategy, and the pace of campaign promises. As the president consolidated his leadership, the prime minister’s space for maneuver steadily shrank. Senegal’s constitutional framework, which firmly places the head of state above all others, offered little room for a power-sharing arrangement where both claimed a share of the popular mandate won in 2024.
Sonko’s strategic pivot to parliament
Ousmane Sonko’s removal from the premiership has not signaled his exit from politics. The Pastef leader retains a powerful asset: control over the parliamentary majority secured in the legislative vote. By positioning himself within the National Assembly, he turns the legislative chamber into a political stronghold and a platform for institutional opposition against the presidential palace. This move mirrors the path taken by other African leaders who, sidelined from the executive, have used parliament as a lasting source of influence.
For Bassirou Diomaye Faye, this shift presents a delicate challenge. The president now faces a parliament still aligned with his former prime minister, severely limiting his legislative options. The appointment of a new government, the passage of upcoming budgets, and the implementation of major reforms promised to voters will all hinge on an unprecedented power dynamic within the ruling party itself.
What lies ahead for Senegal
The rift between the two leaders extends beyond personalities. It calls into question the coherence of the sovereignist agenda championed by Pastef, from renegotiating oil and gas contracts to revisiting the CFA franc, auditing public finances, and shaping migration policy. International partners, including the International Monetary Fund and investors in the Sangomar and Grand Tortue Ahmeyim fields, will closely monitor the country’s institutional stability—especially as Senegal has long been viewed as a democratic showcase in the region.
Regionally, this development coincides with efforts by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to rebuild cohesion after several Sahelian states formed the Alliance of Sahel States. Dakar, which had positioned itself as a mediator under Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s leadership, may now see its diplomatic influence weakened by domestic turmoil. Whether the president can rally a new government capable of restoring stability remains uncertain. Equally uncertain is whether Pastef’s traditionally Sonko-loyal base will take to the streets to voice its dissent.
Senegal now enters a period of political uncertainty, one that will shape the future of the country’s second democratic transition. The outcome remains far from clear.
