Senegal President Faye Dismisses PM Sonko in Shakeup

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the entire government, marking a dramatic rupture between the two men who formed a powerful political alliance to win the 2024 presidential election. The decision, announced via presidential decree on Friday evening, has sent shockwaves through the West African nation’s political landscape.

The dismissal was formalized through Decree No. 2026-1128, read on national television by Secretary General of the Presidency Oumar Samba Ba on RTS, Senegal’s public broadcaster. The decree terminates the functions of Sonko and all ministers and secretaries of state, though the outgoing government has been tasked with handling current affairs until a new administration is formed.

A Rupture Years in the Making

The dismissal caps a period of steadily escalating tensions between the president and his former mentor. Sonko, a charismatic former tax inspector turned populist opposition leader, had built an enormous youth following with his pan-Africanist rhetoric during the final years of former President Macky Sall’s administration. After a defamation conviction stripped Sonko of his civil rights and prevented him from running in the 2024 presidential election, he designated his deputy Faye as the replacement candidate. The “Diomaye Moy Sonko” (“Diomaye is Sonko” in Wolof) ticket swept to victory in the first round.

Faye appointed Sonko as Prime Minister in April 2024, and their party, PASTEF, won an overwhelming majority in legislative elections that November. However, according to La Libre Belgique, tensions had been mounting for months over governance direction, party leadership, and the growing personalization of power around Sonko.

In a television interview in early May, Faye had openly warned that Sonko remained Prime Minister only as long as he enjoyed presidential confidence. “When that is no longer the case, there will be a new Prime Minister,” Faye stated, signaling the coming rupture.

Sonko’s Reaction and Public Response

Sonko responded to his dismissal with characteristic defiance. On Facebook, he wrote: “Alhamdoulillah. Ce soir je dormirai le coeur leger a la cite Keur Gorgui” (“Praise be to God. Tonight I will sleep with a light heart at the Keur Gorgui residence”). Hundreds of supporters gathered at his home in Dakar following the announcement, with videos circulating on social media showing crowds chanting his name.

PASTEF, Sonko’s party, issued an official statement praising his “remarkable work” marked by “rigor, patriotism, and a profound sense of the general interest,” as reported by Seneweb. The party announced it would hold a congress on June 6, 2026, and reaffirmed its commitment to the ideals of sovereignty, patriotism, and African unity.

Political Implications and the Road to 2029

The dismissal has major implications for Senegal’s political future. Sonko retains his position as president of PASTEF, which holds an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly. This creates a potentially volatile situation where the president and the parliamentary majority may be at odds.

Analysts writing for Benin Web TV describe the move as opening a “political battle of long duration,” with the 2029 presidential election already emerging as the horizon for the next phase of this rivalry. An electoral reform passed in April 2026 could potentially allow Sonko to run in 2029, despite his previous legal disqualification.

According to allAfrica.com, the dismissal came shortly after a tense parliamentary session where PASTEF deputies had openly discussed the possibility of institutional confrontation. The publication notes that this rupture “could reshuffle the cards of the majority and open a period of political uncertainty.”

Economic Challenges Loom

The political crisis unfolds against a backdrop of severe economic challenges. Senegal carries a debt burden of 132% of GDP, making it the second most indebted country in sub-Saharan Africa. An IMF program was suspended after the new government accused the previous administration of concealing the true extent of the debt. These economic pressures may have contributed to the growing policy differences between Faye’s more pragmatic approach and Sonko’s populist orientation.

What’s Next

No successor has been named for the Prime Minister position, and the timeline for forming a new government remains unclear. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether PASTEF remains unified or splits between loyalists to Sonko and those who align with President Faye. Local elections scheduled for 2027 will serve as an early test of strength between the two camps, while the 2029 presidential election looms as the ultimate prize in what promises to be a prolonged political struggle.

For now, Senegal enters a period of profound uncertainty, with the former political allies who together ended decades of established rule now positioned as rivals for the country’s future.