President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal has dismissed his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko following months of escalating tensions between the two leaders who rose to power in April 2024 on a wave of popular hope.

In a televised address delivered by the President’s Secretary-General Oumar Samba Ba, Faye announced he had “terminated the functions of Mr. Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister, and consequently those of the ministers and state secretaries serving in the government.” He added that the outgoing government members would “handle current affairs” until further notice, with no indication given about the appointment of a successor.

Since President Faye’s election, tensions had steadily grown between the head of state and his former mentor and charismatic Prime Minister. Sonko’s considerable influence had been instrumental in bringing the duo to power.

Sonko, a fierce opponent of former President Macky Sall (2012-2024), had been barred from running in the 2024 presidential election after a defamation conviction stripped him of his civil rights. He subsequently endorsed Bassirou Diomaye Faye to take his place in the race.

With a panafricanist rhetoric that resonated strongly among Senegal’s disillusioned youth ahead of the election, Sonko had sparked passionate enthusiasm during months of confrontation with Macky Sall’s government, which violently suppressed protests against his potential bid for a controversial third term.

Just released from prison under an amnesty law aimed at easing years of political tensions, the two men campaigned together under the slogan “Diomaye Moy Sonko”—”Diomaye is Sonko” in Wolof—sealing their political alliance.

Spontaneous celebrations

“Alhamdoulillah. Tonight I will sleep with a light heart in the Keur Gorgui district,” Sonko immediately reacted on his Facebook account, referring to his home in Dakar. Hundreds of his supporters rushed to his residence Friday evening to celebrate his dismissal, as witnessed by reporters on the scene.

Earlier in the day, the former Prime Minister had criticized “Western tyranny” for attempting to “impose (homosexuality) on the rest of the world” during a parliamentary session, weeks after Senegal—an overwhelmingly Muslim West African nation—passed a law toughening penalties for same-sex relations.

For months, the rift between the President and his government chief had become increasingly apparent, making cooperation between the two seem ever more unlikely.

Days before the dismissal, the President had publicly criticized what he called Sonko’s “excessive personalization” of the ruling party. “As long as he remains Prime Minister, it is because he enjoys my trust. When that is no longer the case, there will be a new Prime Minister,” Faye declared in a televised interview.

Sonko’s party dominates Senegal’s National Assembly since winning a landslide victory in the November 2024 legislative elections. Weeks ago, parliament paved the way for Sonko’s potential 2029 presidential bid by adopting an electoral code reform signed into law by the President. The opposition denounced the move as serving Sonko’s interests.

In July 2025, Senegal’s Supreme Court rejected a challenge by Sonko—then Prime Minister since April 2024—against his conviction, reigniting debates about his eligibility. Nevertheless, Sonko was elected to the National Assembly in the November 2024 legislative vote before waiving his mandate to remain Prime Minister, which his party argues makes him eligible. Local elections are scheduled for 2027 ahead of the 2029 presidential vote.

President Faye, who lacks the same level of popular enthusiasm as Sonko, has gained support in recent months through the “Diomaye Président” movement, fueling speculation about a possible 2029 candidacy.

Since taking office, Senegal’s leaders have faced severe economic challenges, inheriting a colossal debt from the previous administration: equivalent to 132% of GDP according to the International Monetary Fund, making Senegal the second most indebted country in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2024, the new opposition-led government accused the outgoing administration of Macky Sall of concealing the true state of public finances, leading to the suspension of a $1.8 billion IMF support program.