Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye terminated the mandate of his Prime Minister and former ally Ousmane Sonko on Friday evening through an official decree, following months of escalating disputes between the two leaders. The announcement was delivered via a televised address by the presidential secretary-general, Oumar Samba Ba, who stated that the president had “put an end to the functions of Mr. Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister, and consequently to those of the ministers and state secretaries in the government.”

The departing officials have been instructed to handle only “current administrative affairs” until a new administration is formed.

Sonko, once a vocal opponent of former President Macky Sall (2012–2024), was barred from contesting the February 2024 presidential election due to a defamation conviction that stripped him of his civil rights. This sparked widespread protests against Sall’s potential bid for a third term.

Sonko had initially backed Faye’s candidacy, and their alliance—fueled by Sonko’s fiery panafricanist rhetoric—mobilized Senegal’s disillusioned youth ahead of the election. However, tensions between the president and his charismatic former mentor have steadily intensified since they assumed power.

“Alhamdoulillah. Tonight, I will sleep peacefully in Keur Gorgui,” Sonko wrote on his Facebook page shortly after the announcement, referring to his Dakar residence. Videos circulating on social media showed jubilant supporters rushing to his home, chanting his name in celebration of his dismissal.

The rift between Faye and Sonko had grown increasingly public in recent months, casting doubt on their ability to maintain a cohesive partnership. Sonko’s party commands a dominant majority in Senegal’s National Assembly after securing a landslide victory in the November 2024 legislative elections.