What began as an unprecedented political alliance in francophone sub-Saharan Africa, a partnership that captured national attention, has dramatically unraveled. In Senegal, the formidable duo of Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye—the former a mentor to the latter, both staunch opponents of then-President Macky Sall—had initially united for the 2024 presidential election. However, this powerful collaboration ultimately transformed into a fierce rivalry, culminating in a stunning political rupture on the night of May 22, 2026.
Indeed, on that Friday, just before 10 PM, the Senegalese public was taken by surprise by a brief address delivered from the Presidential Palace in Dakar. Oumar Samba Ba, the Secretary-General of the Presidency, announced the immediate dismissal of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. Concurrently, every member of the government was relieved of their duties.
“By decree n°2026-1128 issued on May 22, 2026, the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has terminated the mandate of Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister, and consequently, the mandates of all ministers and secretaries of state serving as government members. The outgoing government members are instructed to manage current affairs,” Oumar Samba Ba affirmed in his public statement.
Upon learning of his dismissal, Ousmane Sonko conveyed his immediate reaction: “Tonight, I will sleep with a light heart.”
Only a few hours prior, while addressing questions from deputies at the National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko had declared, “I am not a Prime Minister who blindly obeys and agrees to everything.”
It is important to note that discernible tensions had been escalating over recent months between the two executive leaders, who had jointly assumed power in 2024. Their political disagreements had become increasingly apparent to the public. For instance, weeks earlier, during an engagement with the nation’s media, Bassirou Diomaye Faye had indicated, among other things, his prerogative to “terminate the functions of his Prime Minister whenever he no longer held confidence in him.” The line, it appears, was definitively crossed that evening.
The immediate focus now shifts to how the political landscape in Senegal will evolve following this significant development, especially with the next local elections slated for 2027 and the presidential election not until 2029.
