In Senegal, former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko held a press conference on June 2 to explain why his party, Pastef, declined the invitation to join the new government sworn in the previous day by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s administration led by Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lô.

Sonko highlighted fundamental disagreements between him and the administration on two critical fronts: political priorities and cabinet appointments.

The Pastef leader stressed that his party had sought assurances from the president on key issues such as judicial reforms, transparency in public finances, and the renegotiation of major contracts. However, Sonko stated that the responses from President Faye and his Finance Minister fell short of expectations, particularly regarding debt management strategies.

Sonko criticizes vague responses from authorities

“We discussed, and the president confirmed that neither he nor his Finance Minister had made any commitments to the International Monetary Fund regarding debt restructuring,” Sonko said. “On purchasing power, he mentioned that price adjustments for subsidized goods would be considered ‘as much as possible.’ And on justice, he went so far as to claim Senegal has the best justice system in the world.”

Sonko characterized these responses as “lukewarm,” indicating they lacked the substance his party demanded before agreeing to participate in the government.

Sonko insists on equal representation

Regarding cabinet appointments, Sonko made it clear that Pastef would not accept a role in the government unless it secured at least half of the ministerial positions. He also criticized the legitimacy of the new team, noting that only five ministers in the lineup were from his party—positions, he emphasized, not officially recognized by Pastef.

Despite these tensions, Sonko reassured that his party would not file a no-confidence motion unless the government took the first step in provoking conflict.