The President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, terminated the mandate of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Friday evening, ending months of escalating political tensions between the two allies who rose to power in April 2024 with broad public support.

In a televised address delivered by the Secretary-General of the Presidency, Oumar Samba Ba, President Faye announced the dismissal of Ousmane Sonko from his position as Prime Minister, along with all ministers and state secretaries in the government. The outgoing officials have been instructed to manage current affairs until further notice, with no timeline provided for the appointment of a successor.

Since their election, the relationship between President Faye and his former mentor, Prime Minister Sonko, has deteriorated steadily. Sonko’s considerable influence played a key role in propelling the duo to victory, but his growing dominance within the ruling party became a point of contention.

Sonko, a vocal opponent of former President Macky Sall (2012-2024), was barred from running in the 2024 presidential election after a defamation conviction stripped him of his civil rights. He ultimately backed Bassirou Diomaye Faye as his substitute candidate, with the campaign slogan *”Diomaye Moy Sonko”*—”Diomaye is Sonko” in Wolof—symbolizing their political alliance.

From prison to power: Both men were released from prison in early 2024 under an amnesty law aimed at easing years of political strife. Their release fueled a wave of public enthusiasm, particularly among Senegal’s disillusioned youth, who rallied behind their panafricanist rhetoric and resistance to Macky Sall’s controversial bid for a third term.

Sonko’s immediate reaction to his dismissal reflected relief, as he posted on Facebook: *”Alhamdoulillah. Tonight, I will sleep peacefully at my home in Keur Gorgui,” a neighborhood in Dakar where he resides.* Hundreds of his supporters gathered outside his home shortly after the announcement, celebrating his removal from office.

Earlier that day, Sonko had criticized Western “tyranny,” accusing it of attempting to impose homosexuality on the rest of the world during a parliamentary session. This statement came just weeks after Senegal adopted a law toughening penalties for same-sex relations in the predominantly Muslim West African nation.

Tensions between the president and prime minister had been mounting for months. In a recent interview, President Faye had warned that Sonko’s leadership style was becoming excessively personalized within the ruling party, stating: *”As long as he remains Prime Minister, it is because he has my trust. When that is no longer the case, there will be a new Prime Minister.”*

Sonko’s party, the Pastef, currently holds a commanding majority in Senegal’s National Assembly after winning the November 2024 legislative elections by a landslide. Earlier this year, parliament paved the way for Sonko’s potential 2029 presidential bid by approving an electoral code reform, which the president signed into law. Critics argue the reform unfairly benefits Sonko.

In July 2025, Senegal’s Supreme Court rejected Sonko’s appeal against his 2023 defamation conviction while he was still Prime Minister, reigniting debates over his eligibility. Despite his ineligibility at the time, Sonko was elected to the National Assembly in November 2024 but chose to forgo his seat to remain Prime Minister—a move his party claims confirms his eligibility. Local elections are slated for 2027, followed by the presidential election in 2029.

While President Faye has not yet garnered the same level of popular fervor as Sonko, his *”Diomaye Président” movement suggests he may consider a 2029 candidacy. The government faces significant economic challenges, including a debt reaching 132% of GDP—one of the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In 2024, the new administration accused the previous government of concealing the true state of public finances, leading to the suspension of a $1.8 billion IMF aid program.