In a move that follows months of growing tensions between the two leaders, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Friday, May 22, and dissolved the government, according to an announcement on state television. “Alhamdoulillah (All praise is due to God). Tonight, I will sleep with a light heart in the city of Keur Gorgui,” Sonko wrote on his official platforms after the announcement. The decision comes after months of escalating tensions between Faye and Sonko, once close political allies within the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF), the ruling party that came to power in 2024. As reported, their relationship deteriorated amid disputes about party control, governance and economic policy. Faye's decision dissolves the government, dismissing all ministers, according to a statement read by Oumar Samba Ba, secretary general of Faye's office. The members of the outgoing government are responsible for handling current affairs, said Ba. The president will appoint a new prime minister and government within the coming days. Sonko was appointed prime minister April 2, 2024, hours after Faye’s inauguration as president. Once seen as a mentor-protégé political duo, the two leaders eventually drifted apart as rivalries within the ruling movement deepened.
