President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal has dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government after months of escalating political tensions, deepening uncertainty in the debt-laden West African nation.

The unexpected announcement came during a televised address when presidential advisor Oumar Samba Ba read a decree stating that Faye had “terminated the functions of Ousmane Sonko” and, consequently, those of all ministers and state secretaries in the government.

Senegal now faces an unusual scenario where a president owes much of his political rise to his former prime minister, who would likely have become president himself had he not been barred from the 2024 race due to a defamation conviction.

Relations between Faye and the charismatic Sonko—once his mentor—have deteriorated sharply in recent months.

Their party, Pastef, won a landslide victory in the March 2024 parliamentary elections by pledging sweeping political reforms, vowing to combat corruption and mismanagement of public affairs.

Despite Sonko’s widespread popularity, Faye holds ultimate executive authority as president and can remove the prime minister through a single decree.

Sonko had ignited fervent support among Senegal’s disillusioned youth ahead of the 2024 presidential race with his fiery rhetoric and uncompromising stance against Senegal’s former colonial power, France.

In a bold speech to Pastef supporters in early July, Sonko publicly criticized Faye, accusing him of lacking decisive leadership for failing to defend him against mounting criticism.