SENEGALESE President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has sacked Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the nation’s government after months of tensions between the two men.
A shock decree, read out on TV by a presidential aide, said Faye had “ended the duties” of his one-time political ally Sonko and “consequently those of the ministers and secretaries of state who are members of the government”.
Sonko, a popular figure among Senegal’s youth, said on social media that he would “sleep with a light heart”.
The split comes as the country faces mounting economic pressure, with its public debt having reached the equivalent of 132% of its GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Sonko’s dismissal followed a parliamentary session on Tuesday, during which the prime minister openly criticised Faye for his approach to the debt crisis.
Faye was in the unusual situation of owing his position, in large part, to his prime minister’s popularity.
Sonko would almost certainly have taken the top job had he not been barred from running in 2024’s elections due to a defamation conviction.
However, Sonko backed Faye’s bid for presidency, using the slogan “Diomaye is Sonko, Sonko is Diomaye”.
The pair went on to unseat then-President Macky Sall – an extraordinary victory given they were both in prison until 10 days before the election.
Late on Tuesday night, several hundred students demonstrated on the streets of the capital city, Dakar, declaring their support for Sonko.
No details have been provided on the appointment of a new prime minister.
Tensions between Sonko and Faye have been on display for months.
Faye had reportedly criticised Sonko’s “excessive personalisation” within the ruling party Pastef, while Sonko accused the president of a “failure of leadership” for not defending him against his critics.
Amid this feud, Senegal’s leaders have been grappling with the colossal amount of debt they inherited from the previous government.
The IMF has frozen its $1.8bn (£1.3bn) lending programme with Senegal as a result.