DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — In a dramatic late-night announcement on Friday, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko following prolonged political friction between the two leaders.
Government Secretary General Oumar Samba Ba made the announcement during a nighttime television broadcast, revealing the end of a partnership that had brought their party to power.
The dismissal marks the climax of escalating disputes between these once-allied leaders from the Patriotes Africains du Sénégal pour le Travail, l’Éthique et la Fraternité (Pastef) party, which had successfully ousted the previous administration.
According to Ba, the prime minister’s removal triggered the resignation of all government ministers and led to the cabinet’s complete dissolution.
The Pastef party had secured victory following an aggressive political battle against the previously governing Alliance pour la République party. This came amid widespread concerns that former President Macky Sall might exploit a 2016 constitutional amendment to extend his presidency. Sall, who governed from 2012 to 2024, ultimately chose not to seek reelection, leading to his party’s defeat.
Sonko, who leads the Pastef party, was prohibited from seeking the presidency after courts upheld a defamation conviction and the Constitutional Court rejected his candidacy. Faye stepped in as the party’s candidate in Sonko’s place.
Following his dismissal, Sonko posted a brief message on X, stating: “Praise be to Allah. Tonight I will sleep with a light heart in the Keur Gorgui neighborhood.”
