Senegal: Sonko threatens to bring down the government “as many times as necessary.”

While in Touba on Sunday, July 12, for the inauguration of the Pastef headquarters, President of the National Assembly Ousmane Sonko clearly displayed his intention to put pressure on the executive. Backed by his party’s parliamentary majority, he stated that he was ready to bring down the government with a motion of censure, “as many times as necessary.”

This threat reflects the intensifying tensions between the former Prime Minister and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Once allies, the two men are now openly displaying their differences. In front of Pastef supporters, Ousmane Sonko accused the head of state of straying from the commitments made upon coming to power. “Senegalese citizens are not at all a concern for Bassirou Diomaye Faye</em)," he stated, before criticizing several decisions made by the government.

The former head of government specifically mentioned the management of natural resources, asserting that certain reforms initiated during his time in office have been abandoned. He also pointed out the country’s economic situation, citing, among other issues, public debt, difficulties faced in several sectors, and discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The government’s reaction was swift. Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lô dismissed the accusations and condemned any attempts to monopolize patriotism. In a message posted on social media, he stated that “attempting to make patriotism the monopoly of a single camp is, in essence, to betray it.”

This new exchange of blows comes in an already tense political context. Since leaving the Prime Ministry on May 22 and being elected to the presidency of the National Assembly four days later, Ousmane Sonko has a significant institutional lever thanks to the majority held by Pastef in Parliament.

The climate has further deteriorated following the Constitutional Council’s decision on July 9 to invalidate a reform adopted by lawmakers concerning the balance of powers between the executive and Parliament. In this context, Ousmane Sonko’s statements confirm that relations with Bassirou Diomaye Faye have entered a new phase of political confrontation.

Sonko on His Friendly Relations with Diomaye

When asked about the nature of his current relations with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, whom he had named as Pastef’s candidate for the presidential election, Ousmane Sonko stated that it is “pointless to dwell on the past. Today, we must manage the present and look towards the future. I believe that destiny plays a role in everything that happens, and that God ultimately charts our paths. But God acts through very specific means. In this instance, He entrusted me with the responsibility of choosing my party’s candidate for the presidential election, and I selected a man.”

He added: “This was, of course, my personal responsibility. But if it had not been God’s will, I would not have chosen him. The events of these past two years and some can be judged not only by the Senegalese people but by the whole world.”