Following months of political tension, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government.
The announcement was made via a sudden presidential decree broadcast on state television on Friday. The move deepens the political crisis gripping the heavily indebted West African nation.
The dismissal came just hours after Sonko launched a scathing critique of the Western world, accusing "authoritarian" Western nations of attempting to "impose" homosexuality on the rest of the world. Senegal also recently passed a new law tightening penalties for homosexual acts.
Sonko stated that following the passage of the law, he faced intense criticism from abroad, particularly from France. Addressing the West, he said, "If they have chosen this path (homosexuality), that is their problem. We do not need any lessons from them on this issue, absolutely not."
Oumar Samba Ba, a high-ranking official from the presidency, read the decree on state television. "President Faye has removed Ousmane Sonko from his duties. Consequently, the mandates of the serving ministers have also ended," he announced. No immediate details were provided regarding a new Prime Minister.
Following his dismissal, Sonko took to Facebook, writing: "Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). Tonight, I will sleep peacefully in Keur Gorgui." Keur Gorgui is Sonko's neighborhood located in the capital, Dakar.
AFP journalists reported that Sonko arrived at his residence after midnight, where hundreds of his supporters had gathered to greet him.
President Faye originally swept into power largely due to the backing of Ousmane Sonko. Sonko was widely considered the frontrunner for the last presidential election but was barred from running after being convicted in a defamation case.
According to a BBC report, Sonko endorsed Faye at the time, stating, "Faye is more principled than I am. Voting for him means voting for me."
While Sonko was once Faye's political mentor, their relationship soured significantly in recent months.
Together, Sonko and Faye founded the Pastef party, winning the 2024 election in the first round on promises of eradicating corruption and reforming a fragile economy.
Sonko enjoys immense popularity among Senegalese youth, particularly due to his Pan-African stance and his hardline rhetoric against France, the former colonial ruler.
However, despite Sonko's popularity, executive power rests entirely with President Faye, who holds the constitutional authority to dismiss the prime minister via decree.
The rift between the president and the prime minister had played out publicly for months, plunging the administration into uncertainty. In a television interview earlier this May, President Faye expressed his frustration, criticizing Sonko's dominance within the ruling party.
"He will remain Prime Minister as long as he has my confidence. The day that confidence is lost, a new Prime Minister will come," Faye said during the broadcast. Conversely, Sonko countered with allegations of leadership failure, accusing Faye of failing to protect him from critics.
Since taking office in 2024, the administration has been forced to confront a precarious economic situation, inherited from the previous regime's staggering debt.
According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Senegal's debt has soared to 132% of its GDP, making it the second most indebted nation in the Sub-Saharan region.
Notably, the Senegalese parliament passed a new bill last month that cleared the path for Sonko to contest the next presidential election in 2029. The reform brought major amendments to Senegal's electoral laws, overturning the previous rule that barred individuals convicted of defamation from running for office.
Source: AFP
