DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A political crisis is brewing in Senegal after dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko declared his majority party will refuse to join the newly formed government following months of disputes with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, creating concerns about governmental paralysis in a nation already struggling with overwhelming debt burdens.
Sonko and Faye were once political partners within Pastef, which stands for Patriotes Africains du Sénégal pour le Travail, l’Éthique et la Fraternité in French. Under Sonko’s leadership, the party commands a commanding parliamentary presence with 130 seats in the 165-member legislature.
“We are entering a real opposition dynamic,” stated Babacar Ndiaye, a political analyst at the Senegal-based Wathi think tank on Tuesday, noting that Pastef could pursue a no-confidence vote against the newly installed government, potentially triggering a governance crisis.
The cabinet unveiled Monday by newly appointed Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo excludes any prominent members from the majority party or Sonko’s close political allies, who had previously controlled important ministerial positions.
According to Sonko, who stated that Pastef would “not participate in this government due to points of disagreement” with both Faye and Lo, he was dismissed along with all cabinet members in May after prolonged friction with the president.
Despite their previous alliance when they assumed power in April 2024, Faye and Sonko have publicly clashed over crucial policy matters in recent months, particularly regarding negotiations for International Monetary Fund financing.
The West African nation confronts an escalating debt emergency and increasing living costs, ranking among Africa’s most indebted countries by debt-to-GDP ratio. An official government review conducted last year uncovered previously unreported obligations totaling $13 billion left by the former administration.
