President Faye and Prime Minister Sonko Engage in a Political Conflict in Senegal
Senegal’s ruling coalition has been shaken by the intense public power struggle between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, which raises important issues about who actually has political control.
President Faye’s unilateral announcement on Tuesday that Aïssatou Mbodj, a crucial ally of Sonko, would no longer lead the “Diomaye Réident” coalition that helped him win the 2024 election set off the conflict. Aminata Touré, his own campaign organizer, took her position. Sonko had publicly said a few days prior that there would be “no change at the head of the coalition,” and this action was a clear threat to the Prime Minister’s power. Sonko quickly and defiantly called a meeting of his Pastef party, which released a statement denying the president’s right to implement such a change.
The party openly stated that it has “neither the same values nor the same principles” with the president’s new appointee and claimed that Faye “does not have the power to dismiss” Mbodj, indicating a severe political and ideological divide inside the administration.
With Sonko commanding a strong political party and substantial popular legitimacy, as evidenced by the thousands of followers he just rallied, analysts are increasingly doubting President Faye’s capacity to lead successfully.
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