Dakar Residents React to Sacking of Senegal's PM Sonko

Senegal

Residents of Dakar have been reacting to Friday’s sacking of prime minister Ousmane Sonko.

After months of tensions, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dissolved government and fired Sonko.

But the former prime minister retains a passionate following among the country’s youth.

"Thank God. For us Sonko supporters, this is what we expected," says Dakar resident Ibrahima Dione.

"Ousmane Sonko has achieved more than any other minister in the history of Senegal. We will be prouder than ever to stand by his side. Bassirou Diomaye Faye behaved immaturely.”

Faye and Sonko’s Pastef party came to power in 2024 promising to fight government mismanagement. But their personal disagreements have been a distraction.

Resident Modou Diaw says he was surprised to hear the news:

"This dismissal is rather unsettling. The announcement was sudden. This is not a good thing for the country. The country needs jobs, not politics.”

But Faye has his defenders. With the country facing a growing debt crisis, some residents welcomed the news of Sonko’s departure, hoping it might offer a return to stability

"Many Senegalese had been waiting for this," says Thierno Sow. "The president is the one who makes appointments. It is his prerogative to dismiss and to appoint. I think that if it is for the good of the country, then this is what we should do.”

Now out of government and expected to run for president in 2029, Sonko could still prove a thorn in Faye's side as he finishes his term in office.

A recent parliamentary change means Sonko - who was barred from standing in 2024 - is now eligible to run for president in 2029, threatening a further showdown with Faye in the near future.