In Senegal, President Faye Fires Prime Minister Sonko

Following months of mounting tensions between the two leaders, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye fired Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Friday, and announced Monday that he plans to replace him with a seasoned economist, Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, who previously served as head of the Senegal branch of the Central Bank of West African States.

Sonko had threatened in March to resign his position and return his Pastef party to a posture of opposition to the government. For more on the feud between the two erstwhile political allies, see Jessica Moody’s December 2025 WPR briefing.

That Faye chose a person with Lo’s economic credentials as prime minister indicates that ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund over accessing a $1.8 billion credit line is a top priority for the president. However, enacting the economic reforms required by the IMF to access the funds will be challenging in the country’s highly polarized political atmosphere.

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