Senegal: president bassirou diomaye faye dismisses prime minister ousmane sonko in historic political shift

A political earthquake of unprecedented magnitude has rocked Senegal and the wider West African sub-region. On Friday, May 22, 2026, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially terminated the mandate of his Prime Minister and political mentor, Ousmane Sonko. This decisive action immediately dissolves the government and marks the abrupt conclusion of the executive partnership that had guided the nation since the transition of power in April 2024.

Decree n°2026-1128: The official act of separation

The shockwave reverberated across the country that evening with the publication of a significant official act. The head of state signed presidential decree number 2026-1128 on Friday, May 22, 2026, bringing an immediate end to Ousmane Sonko’s responsibilities as head of government. To formalize this separation, Bassirou Diomaye Faye rigorously invoked the prerogatives outlined in the Senegalese Fundamental Law, specifically articles 42, 43, 53, and 56 of the Constitution.

This legal framework establishes the President of the Republic as the guardian of the Constitution, ensuring the regular functioning of institutions, and grants him the discretionary power to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister. Article one of the decree unequivocally states that “the functions of Mr. Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal, are hereby terminated.”

Under Article 2, the decree’s application is immediate. By a constitutional ripple effect, the departure of the head of government automatically triggers the resignation of all ministers and secretaries of state. The decree specifies, however, that members of the outgoing cabinet are tasked with managing current affairs pending the appointment of a new ministerial team.

“Diomaye is Sonko”: Genesis of an unprecedented partnership

To fully grasp the impact of this political upheaval, it is crucial to recall the uniquely intertwined and almost symbiotic relationship between the two men. Ousmane Sonko, the charismatic leader of the PASTEF party, had spearheaded fierce opposition against the Macky Sall regime. Faced with judicial persecution and his definitive disqualification from the presidential race by the Constitutional Council in early 2024, Sonko made a strategic and brilliant choice.

While sharing a prison cell following waves of political arrests, Ousmane Sonko designated his secretary-general and most loyal lieutenant, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, as the substitute candidate for their systemic reform project.

Propelled by the historic slogan “Diomaye is Sonko,” the substitute candidate became the focal point of popular fervor, bolstered by the party leader’s influence. Freed under an amnesty law just days before the election, the two men conducted a lightning campaign, culminating in Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s triumphant first-round victory on March 24, 2024.

Immediately upon his swearing-in on April 2, 2024, the newly elected president appointed Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister via decree n°2024-921. For the first time in African political history, a political mentor became the institutional subordinate of his own protégé, establishing an unparalleled dual-headed governance structure.

Seeds of discord: From fusion to friction

While an illusion of perfect harmony was long maintained through public declarations, the practicalities of state power quickly exposed the limitations of this two-headed system, leading to subtle clashes between two distinct visions over the months.

On one side, Ousmane Sonko maintained his identity as a sovereignist theoretician and orator, frequently delivering direct and assertive statements on international affairs, the revision of mining and oil contracts, and breaking with traditional partners. On the other, President Faye found himself directly confronting the realities of macroeconomic management, regional diplomacy, and the absolute necessity of reassuring financial markets.

The first visible cracks emerged during the government reshuffle on September 6, 2025, formalized by the signing of decree n°2025-430, which set the new composition of the cabinet. This reshuffle, far from easing tensions, highlighted internal power struggles for control of key ministries between the Prime Minister’s initial loyalists and the technocrats promoted by the head of state.

Ultimately, this political cohabitation between a President of the Republic holding constitutional legitimacy and a head of government embodying historical popular legitimacy reignited the “kingmaker” complex. This created a highly unstable equilibrium where Ousmane Sonko’s constant influence over presidential decisions eventually brought the question of real authority at the pinnacle of the Republic to a head, a significant development in African governance.

What future for Senegal?

This dismissal plunges the nation into an entirely uncharted political configuration. By reclaiming full control of the state apparatus through this assertive move, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye definitively frees himself from the moral tutelage of his former leader. He now alone assumes the full scope of his presidential duties.

The major unknown now lies in Ousmane Sonko’s future stance. Will the PASTEF leader choose silence, a gentle separation, or a return to outright opposition, leveraging his still very active electoral base? The composition of the next government, anticipated in the coming hours, will offer crucial insights into the new direction President Faye intends to steer his mandate, shaping the future of African current affairs in the region.