President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal terminated the mandate of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and his entire government on Friday evening through an official decree, marking the culmination of months of escalating tensions between the two leaders.

In a televised statement delivered by the presidential secretary-general Oumar Samba Ba, the move was framed as a necessary step to restore institutional balance. “The President has ended the functions of Mr. Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister, and consequently, all ministers and state secretaries in the government,” the announcement declared. “The outgoing government members are tasked with handling current administrative matters until further notice,” it added.

Sonko’s political journey to this point has been marked by dramatic twists. Once a fierce opponent of former President Macky Sall, he was barred from running in the February 2024 presidential election due to a defamation conviction that stripped him of his civil rights. His exclusion sparked nationwide protests against Sall’s attempt to seek a third term in office.

Following Sonko’s disqualification, he endorsed his close ally Bassirou Diomaye Faye, whose own election victory in March 2024 set the stage for this unexpected power shift. Once united in their opposition to Sall’s regime, the relationship between Faye and Sonko has deteriorated into open conflict, with Sonko’s substantial influence among Senegal’s youth—fueled by his pan-Africanist rhetoric—becoming a liability for the new administration.

Sonko’s immediate reaction on his Facebook account captured the emotional weight of the moment: “Alhamdoulillah. Tonight, I will sleep with a light heart in Keur Gorgui,” he wrote, referring to his residence in Dakar. His supporters quickly mobilized, flooding the streets near his home and chanting his name in defiance of the decree.

The rift between the head of state and the former head of government had grown increasingly visible in recent months, making any prospect of reconciliation seem increasingly remote. Adding to the tension, Sonko’s party commands an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly after securing a landslide victory in the November 2024 legislative elections.