By Jeremiah Gayflor
DAKAR, Senegal — Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko following years of political tension between the two former allies.
The decision was announced late Friday by government Secretary General Oumar Samba Ba during a national broadcast.
According to Ba, the dismissal of the prime minister automatically triggered the resignation and dissolution of the entire government.
The move marks the climax of a long-running power struggle within the ruling Patriotes Africains du Sénégal pour le Travail, l’Éthique et la Fraternité (Pastef) party, which rose to power after defeating the former ruling Alliance pour la République party in a highly contested political environment.
Pastef gained widespread support during a fierce campaign against former President Macky Sall and his administration. Critics had accused Sall of attempting to extend his stay in office through a 2016 constitutional amendment, although he eventually declined to seek another term ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Sonko, the leader of Pastef, had initially been expected to contest the presidency but was barred from running after Senegal’s Supreme Court upheld a defamation conviction against him. His candidacy was later rejected by the Constitutional Court, paving the way for Faye to become the party’s presidential candidate.
Following his dismissal, Sonko reacted briefly on social media platform X, writing: “Praise be to Allah. Tonight I will sleep with a light heart in the Keur Gorgui neighborhood.”
Political analysts say the latest development could reshape Senegal’s political landscape as tensions within the ruling party continue to unfold.
