Dakar — President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has officially dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and his entire cabinet in a late-night decree, marking a dramatic turn in Senegal’s political landscape.

In a televised address, presidential secretary general Oumar Samba Ba announced the decision, stating that the president “has terminated the functions of Mr. Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister, and consequently those of the ministers and state secretaries.” The outgoing officials are now tasked with handling current affairs until replacements are appointed.

The move follows months of escalating tensions between the two leaders, once united in opposition against former President Macky Sall. Sonko, a charismatic figure with strong panafricanist rhetoric, had been barred from running in the February 2024 presidential election after a defamation conviction stripped him of civil rights. His supporters protested vigorously against Sall’s potential third-term bid.

In a surprising twist, Sonko supported Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s candidacy. After Faye’s victory, however, their alliance deteriorated amid growing power struggles. Sonko’s influence within the ruling party, which secured a landslide victory in the November 2024 legislative elections, had made him a formidable force in Senegalese politics.

“Alhamdoulillah. Tonight, I will sleep peacefully in Keur Gorgui,” Sonko wrote on Facebook shortly after the announcement. His supporters quickly gathered outside his Dakar residence, chanting his name in defiance.

The political rupture signals a significant shift in Senegal’s governance, with observers questioning the future cohesion of the ruling coalition.