Senegal: Political Gridlock, Ousted PM To Boycott Government

Senegal ‘s recently ousted PM, Ousmane Sonko, announced on Monday that the political party he leads will not participate in the country’s new government, raising the prospect of political gridlock amid a daunting debt crisis.

Sonko said in a post on X that he met with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, his ally-turned-rival, and that “points of disagreement” emerged about the future role of the Pastef party, which holds a large parliamentary majority.

Therefore, Pastef “will not participate in the next government and will not be represented by any ministers,” Sonko said. “We wish the new team every success.”

The ex-PM ‘s announcement came one hour before his successor, seasoned economist in Senegal, Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, unveiled a new 30-member government, retaining Cheikh Diba as finance minister as negotiations continue with the IMF over a new lending programme.

Diba’s portfolio was expanded to include the economy ministry, which Lo said would create more “coherence” in policymaking.

The roster Lo appointed included at least three Pastef members, seemingly contradicting Sonko’s earlier announcement.

A Rift At The Top

Later that day, Faye had sacked Sonko and dissolved the government, leading to Lo’s appointment and the nomination of a new cabinet.

Lawmakers rebelled against Faye’s

Sonko as a member of parliament was overwhelmingly backed as speaker, with 132 of 165 assembly members in support, a striking display of loyalty to Sonko, even though Faye was also elected under the Pastef banner.

In his new role, Sonko could considerably obstruct Faye’s agenda.

Debt Crisis Fuels Economic Woes

The political upheaval comes as Senegal navigates a crisis stemming from the discovery in 2024 of misreported debt by the previous government.

The IMF froze its $1.8 billion lending programme following the discovery, which pushed the country’s end-2024 debt level to 132% of economic output.

Diba told parliament on May 22 that Senegal expects to resume IMF talks in the week of June 8, hoping to reach an agreement on key points by June 30.

Sonko, a vocal IMF critic who has dismissed debt restructuring, “has signalled an intention to exercise strong parliamentary oversight, potentially constraining the executive’s ability to implement reforms aligned with IMF requirements,” Oxford Economics said in a note published Monday.

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Faye has been less vocal on the issue, and Lo’s views remain unclear. Faye will preside over the first cabinet meeting of the new government on Friday.

(with input from Reuters)