This decision marks the culmination of several months of underlying friction between the two prominent figures, who ascended to power in April 2024 on a wave of widespread popular hope. On Friday, May 22, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially terminated the tenure of his Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, a former comrade-in-arms. A presidential declaration, read on national television by the presidency’s secretary general, confirmed that President Faye had “ended the functions of Mr. Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister, and consequently those of the ministers and secretaries of state who were members of the government.” The statement further specified that “the outgoing government members are tasked with managing current affairs.” No immediate announcements were made regarding the appointment of a new Prime Minister for Senegal.

Since President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s election, the relationship with his charismatic Prime Minister and former mentor had grown increasingly strained. Sonko’s considerable influence had been instrumental in their joint rise to the nation’s highest offices. As a vocal opponent of former President Macky Sall (who served from 2012 to 2024), Ousmane Sonko was ultimately disqualified from participating in the 2024 presidential election due to a defamation conviction that resulted in the loss of his civil rights. It was then that he designated Bassirou Diomaye Faye as his replacement in the presidential race.

However, by early May, the President had publicly criticized what he termed the “excessive personalization” exhibited by his Prime Minister within the ruling party. “As long as he remains Prime Minister, it is because he retains my confidence. When that is no longer the case, there will be a new Prime Minister,” President Faye had asserted in a televised interview. Responding swiftly on Friday, Ousmane Sonko posted on his Facebook account, “Alhamdoulillah. This evening I will sleep with a light heart in Cité Keur Gorgui,” referring to his residential area in Dakar.