Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has publicly acknowledged deep differences with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye during a meeting of the ruling Pastef party’s national council.
Sonko criticized certain political directions currently being pursued in the country and alluded to targeted media and political attacks against him, though without offering specifics.
He stated that he had asked the president either to address key issues or grant him full authority to handle them, warning that ongoing internal tensions could threaten the stability of the government.
Sonko also voiced concern about early political maneuvering ahead of the 2029 presidential elections.
Rejecting any notion of resignation, Sonko asserted that he would remain in office unless formally dismissed by the president. In that event, he said he would return to his parliamentary seat.
Sonko and Faye were once close allies in their fight against the previous regime and were both imprisoned before Faye assumed the presidency in 2024 and appointed Sonko as prime minister.
A key figure of the former opposition, Sonko finished third in the 2019 presidential election and remains highly popular, particularly among Senegalese youth calling for reform and accountability.
