Senegal president sacks prime minister ousmane sonko amid rising tensions

In a decisive move that has sent shockwaves through Dakar’s political landscape, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has terminated the mandate of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, a key ally turned rival in Senegal’s shifting power dynamics.

The announcement, delivered through a televised address by the presidency’s secretary-general, Oumar Samba Ba, declared the dissolution of the entire government, with outgoing ministers instructed to handle only routine administrative tasks until further notice. No timeline was provided for the appointment of a successor.

Tensions between the president and his former mentor had escalated steadily since their historic 2024 electoral victory, a campaign built on the slogan Diomaye Moy Sonko