Dakar court postpones Sonko-Niang villa dispute to july 2026

Senegal’s top civil court delays verdict in high-profile property feud

The long-running legal battle pitting former Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang against Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko over a luxury villa at the Cité Keur Gorgui in Dakar has once again been postponed. The Third Civil Chamber of the Dakar Court ruled that arguments will resume on 22 July 2026, extending a dispute now stretching beyond four years.

At the heart of the case is a 264-square-meter property—lot R/17—whose legal ownership Mr. Niang claims was fraudulently transferred out of his name. The former minister is seeking to have the title reinstated so he can enforce a CFA 200 million damages award granted by the Supreme Court in a prior criminal ruling. His legal team argues that the transfer was a deliberate attempt to strip the property of its value and shield it from seizure.

During the most recent hearing, scheduled for 10 June, the court examined written submissions from both sides. The civil chamber is now tasked with ruling on the merits after Mr. Niang’s attorneys filed a formal response to the defense arguments presented by Mr. Sonko’s legal representatives. Both parties have until the new deadline to finalize their positions before the bench delivers its judgment.