President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the entire government, triggering a full cabinet reshuffle just days before crucial IMF negotiations resume.
A decree read on state television confirmed all ministers and secretaries of state are relieved of their duties. The outgoing cabinet will handle routine matters until a new administration is formed. No replacement for Sonko has been named.
The dismissal ends the political alliance that brought PASTEF to power in 2024. Sonko backed Faye’s presidential bid after being barred from the race. Faye won with 54% of the vote. [BBC News Afrique] reports that tensions became public in November 2025 after Faye removed Aïda Mbodj, a key Sonko loyalist, from the party’s restructuring. PASTEF’s political bureau openly rejected the move. Weeks later, Sonko told a Dakar rally, “I knew and he knew too that we would not always agree on every point.”
The timing of the rupture is critical. Hours before the sacking, Finance Minister Cheikh Diba told parliament that Senegal expects to resume talks with the International Monetary Fund on 8 June, targeting a staff-level agreement by 30 June.
Faye Sacks Sonko: Senegal’s Political Rupture Puts IMF Talks and Economic Recovery at Risk
Sonko responded on Facebook: “Alhamdulillah. Tonight I will sleep soundly in the Keur Gorgui neighbourhood.” Small gatherings were reported outside his Dakar residence.
Faye must now name a prime minister and steady the government before the June talks. Sonko’s PASTEF still controls 130 of the 165 seats in the National Assembly, making him a force the president cannot ignore.
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