In a decisive move, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye terminated the mandate of Prime Minister and former mentor Ousmane Sonko on Friday evening. The decision, announced via a televised statement by presidential secretary-general Oumar Samba Ba, stripped Sonko of his position and dissolved the entire government. Remaining officials are now tasked with handling routine administrative matters until further notice.

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 civil rights. His exclusion sparked widespread protests against Sall’s potential bid for a third term.

After Sonko’s disqualification, he endorsed his close ally Bassirou Diomaye Faye as a replacement candidate. However, tensions between the president and his former mentor escalated sharply following Faye’s election victory. Sonko’s significant influence had been instrumental in propelling the duo to power, yet their partnership now appears irreparably fractured.

With a panafricanist rhetoric that resonated deeply among Senegal’s disillusioned youth ahead of the 2024 election, Sonko cultivated a passionate following. His fiery political style and confrontations with the Sall administration galvanized a generation seeking systemic change.

Minutes after the announcement, Sonko took to Facebook to declare, “Alhamdoulillah. Tonight, I will sleep peacefully at my home in Keur Gorgui,” referencing his Dakar residence. Social media erupted with videos capturing his supporters rushing to his home, chanting his name in defiant solidarity.

Months of simmering discord between the head of state and the head of government had reached a breaking point, making reconciliation increasingly unlikely. Sonko’s party commands an overwhelming majority in Senegal’s National Assembly following a landslide victory in the November 2024 legislative elections.