Senegal President Diomaye Faye and opposition leader Ousmane Sonko clash over new government

Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko held a press conference in Dakar, exposing a deep political rift with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Sonko said his Pastef‑Les Patriotes party would not join the new cabinet headed by Ahmadou Alamine Mohamed Lô, citing major disagreements on justice reform, debt management, renegotiation of economic contracts, and subsidy policy. He also demanded significant ministerial representation for his party and ruled out filing a motion of censure against the government.

The conflict follows Sonko’s earlier strategy of backing Diomaye Faye as a presidential candidate after being barred from running himself. Faye won the 2024 election, but in May 2026 the president removed Sonko and his government from power. Sonko subsequently secured election as president of the National Assembly, underscoring the ongoing power struggle between the two leaders.