Senegal’s President Faye sacks PM Sonko and dissolves government
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government amid growing tensions between the two leaders and ongoing economic challenges.
- The move risks deepening uncertainty as Senegal faces a debt crisis, with the IMF having frozen a $1.8 billion lending program due to misreported debt from the previous administration.
- Finance Minister Cheikh Diba indicated that talks with the IMF are expected to resume in early June, aiming for an agreement by the end of the month, but the government’s dissolution may delay progress.
- Sonko, a popular opposition figure turned prime minister, was barred from the 2024 presidential race but backed Faye, who won the election; their fallout raises questions about Sonko’s political future and potential return to opposition.
- Sonko’s Pastef party controls the National Assembly, which could complicate governance and reform efforts critical for securing IMF support, especially as electoral changes may allow Sonko to run for president in 2029.