Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye Faces Parliamentary Push for Asset and Fund Transparency

The Senegalese National Assembly has introduced a series of legislative initiatives aimed at increasing transparency of presidential finances. Lawmakers deposited a bill to regulate the president’s special accounts, often described as “black boxes,” and another amendment to Constitution article 37 to require a full asset declaration by the head of state. The Assembly’s Bureau deemed the proposals admissible after meetings on 17 and 23 July, with a public communiqué released on 24 July announcing the creation of parliamentary inquiry commissions, including one examining alleged irregularities in the “One Student, One Computer” programme.

The drive occurs amid deteriorating relations between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Assembly President Ousmane Sonko, who was appointed prime minister in 2024, dismissed later, and now leads the parliament. MP Guy Marius Sagna revealed that Sonko received 1.7 billion CFA from political funds without institutional oversight, while Faye is alleged to control more than 8 billion CFA across political, special, and sovereign funds. Both politicians claim the allocations are legal, but critics stress the need for objective and diligent investigations to avoid partisan misuse of the process.