Senegal in Political Shock as President Faye Sacks Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko
Senegal has been thrown into a fresh political crisis after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed his Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, in a sudden late-night announcement on Friday.
The decision was confirmed in a statement read on national television by the Presidency’s Secretary-General, Oumar Samba Ba, who announced that Sonko was relieved of his duties as Prime Minister alongside members of his cabinet and other top officials within his administration.
The move marks a dramatic turn in the political alliance between Faye and Sonko, who were previously close allies. Sonko, once a leading opposition figure against former President Macky Sall, had been barred from contesting the 2024 presidential election.
He later threw his support behind Faye’s successful bid for the presidency.
Shortly after the announcement, Sonko reacted on Facebook, writing that he felt relieved and at peace in his Dakar neighbourhood of Keur Gorgui, a statement that quickly circulated online.
The dismissal has triggered tension in Dakar, where supporters of Sonko’s PASTEF party gathered outside his residence following news of his removal.
The situation has intensified concerns over a widening split within Senegal’s leadership, coming barely months after the new administration took office.
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