Sénégal: Waly Diouf Bodian dismissed after controversial post on Macky Sall

Waly Diouf Bodian, a prominent figure in the Pastef movement and a staunch supporter of Ousmane Sonko, has been removed from his position as Director of the Dakar Autonomous Port by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. This dismissal comes at a politically charged moment, as one of Bodian’s old Facebook prophecies about Macky Sall resurfaces with unsettling irony.

An old prophecy comes back to haunt the former director

In a 2022 Facebook post that has since gained eerie significance, Waly Diouf Bodian declared that “from April 2024 onward, citizen Macky Sall will no longer set foot in the Presidential Palace unless he presents a verified invitation from President Ousmane Sonko.”

Two years later, fate has turned his words against him in a striking twist of irony. When Macky Sall returned to Senegal in mid-2024, Ousmane Sonko was not in the Palace—and now, as Sall makes his return, Bodian himself has been abruptly dismissed from his leadership role at the Dakar Autonomous Port by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

End of an era at the Dakar Autonomous Port

On July 16, 2026, Waly Diouf Bodian’s tenure at the helm of the Dakar Autonomous Port (PAD) officially came to an end. Appointed on April 24, 2024, to succeed Mountaga Sy, he had taken office just weeks later, on May 13. Prior to this role, he served as Deputy Director of Legislation and International Cooperation at the General Directorate of Taxes and Estates (DGID), holding the rank of Principal Inspector of Taxes and Estates.

The Council of Ministers’ official communiqué left no room for doubt: Waly Diouf Bodian’s successor is Doune Pathé Mbengue, a civil administrator and current mayor of Cambérène.

From fiery defender to subdued resignation

Bodian was more than just a high-ranking official at one of Senegal’s key economic hubs. He was also one of Pastef’s most vocal and combative voices, relentlessly defending Ousmane Sonko both online and in public debates. His fervor reached its peak when he declared himself the “Guardian of the Revolution’s Guardian,” positioning himself as a political sentinel and Sonko’s unyielding shield.

His dismissal follows a wave of removals at the top of major public enterprises, including Aïda Mbodji (DER/FJ), Toussaint Manga (LONASE), Ngagne Demba Touré (SOMISEN), and Alioune Guèye (PETROSEN). Many in the Pastef base had expected Bodian to resign in protest after Ousmane Sonko was removed from the Prime Minister’s office, but he remained, citing party discipline.

When questioned about his decision to stay, he stated: “There is individual management, and there is collective management. Some have handled this matter individually, but we are politicians within a party, and we follow the party’s lead. I wasn’t self-appointed as DG—I was nominated as part of the party’s framework.”

The presidency ultimately decided otherwise. With his removal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye brings an end to the political journey of one of Ousmane Sonko’s most loyal and ardent defenders at the Dakar Autonomous Port. Bodian’s response to his dismissal was marked by remarkable restraint. Without bitterness or public outcry, he simply shared a short message on his Facebook page: “Alhamdoulillah. I give thanks to God.”