In the Senegal, former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko took the floor on Tuesday, June 2, to address the media about the Pastef party’s decision to decline an invitation to join the newly formed government. The announcement came just one day after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye revealed the cabinet’s composition.

Sonko outlined several key disagreements between the Pastef and the administration that made collaboration impossible. These included differences over political priorities and disputes regarding the allocation of ministerial portfolios.

The party leader stressed that the government’s response to critical issues such as judicial reform, financial transparency, and debt management failed to meet expectations. Despite requests for concrete assurances, particularly on debt restructuring strategies, the responses provided by the president and his team were deemed insufficient.

“All these replies lacked clarity and conviction”

“We engaged in discussions, but the president and his Finance Minister made it clear they had made no commitments to the IMF regarding debt restructuring,” Sonko explained. “On purchasing power, they suggested applying true price adjustments to certain subsidized goods where feasible. And when it came to justice, they asserted that Senegal boasts the world’s best judicial system. All of these responses were vague and unconvincing.”

Regarding cabinet positions, Sonko made it clear to the president that the Pastef would not endorse a government unless it secured at least half of the ministerial roles. He also criticized the limited representation of his party in the new administration, noting that only five ministers from the Pastef ranks were included—though they were not officially recognized by the party.

Despite these tensions, Sonko emphasized that his party would not initiate a no-confidence motion unless the government took the first aggressive step. “We will not file a motion unless they attack us first,” he stated.