Dakar. Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Friday dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government, a move that risks deepening uncertainty in a country already grappling with a debt crisis and prolonged negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
A statement broadcast on state media said all ministers had been dismissed, with the outgoing government instructed to continue handling day-to-day affairs until a new administration is formed, according to Oumar Samba Ba, secretary-general of the presidency.
The decision follows months of growing tensions between the two former allies. Sonko, a charismatic politician with a strong youth following, backed Faye in the 2024 presidential election after being barred from contesting due to a defamation conviction.
In a social media post following the announcement, Sonko wrote: “Tonight I will sleep with a light heart in the Keur Gorgui neighbourhood,” referring to his residence in Dakar.
The political split comes as Senegal faces mounting economic pressure. The IMF suspended its $1.8 billion lending programme after the discovery of previously undisclosed debt, pushing the country’s debt burden at the end of 2024 to about 132 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Analysts warn that Faye’s decision could further delay efforts to secure a fresh agreement with the IMF, considered critical to stabilising the economy and restoring investor confidence.
Earlier on Friday, before Sonko’s dismissal, Finance Minister Cheikh Diba told Parliament that Senegal expected to resume negotiations with the IMF during the week beginning June 8 and hoped to reach agreement on key issues by June 30.
Diba also warned that the country’s fuel subsidy bill could exceed the 2026 budget allocation by as much as 1.15 trillion CFA francs ($2 billion) if global oil prices rise to $115 per barrel. He added that Sonko had opposed proposals to increase domestic fuel prices.
Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko of the ruling party PASTEF (African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity) speaks during a political rally in Dakar, Senegal, November 8, 2025. PHOTO | REUTERS
Sonko had also resisted any restructuring of Senegal’s estimated $13 billion debt, which he said the IMF was advocating, while President Faye has remained less outspoken on the matter.
The dismissal has fuelled speculation over Sonko’s political future and the stability of the ruling Pastef party, which dominates the National Assembly and remains influential in shaping government policy.
Sonko rose to prominence as a leading opposition figure under former President Macky Sall, whose decision to postpone the 2024 election triggered unrest across the country.
Both Faye and Sonko, former tax officials, were jailed ahead of the election before being released 10 days before the rescheduled vote. Faye later won the presidency with 54 percent of the vote and subsequently appointed Sonko as prime minister.
In March, Sonko said he would be prepared to withdraw Pastef from government and return to the opposition if Faye abandoned the party’s political agenda, intensifying speculation about an irreparable power struggle between the two men.
Last month, lawmakers approved electoral code reforms that could pave the way for Sonko to contest the presidency in 2029.
Among Sonko’s key initiatives while in office was an audit of Senegal’s natural resource agreements, including contracts linked to the country’s emerging oil and gas sector. In March, he declared a BP gas agreement for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project unfair and revoked 71 mining licences.
Sonko argued that renegotiating energy contracts would reduce domestic energy prices and help rebuild Senegal’s strained public finances.
