Sonko details political tensions after leaving Senegal’s prime minister post

Following his sudden removal from the Prime Minister’s office, Ousmane Sonko has shared his account of the exchanges that unfolded with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye-Diakhar. The leader of the PASTEF movement presented his perspective on the circumstances surrounding their collaboration and the points of contention that ultimately led to his departure.

In a public statement delivered shortly after his dismissal, Sonko outlined the key moments of his conversations with the Head of State. He emphasized that disagreements between them were not recent, tracing them back to differences over the implementation of the national project. « What we have witnessed over the past two years does not align with our original vision for this Project. That’s why discussions about my removal had already taken place long before this point, » he explained.

Tense meeting at the Presidential Palace

Despite these underlying tensions, Sonko revealed that he had chosen to remain in office to avoid triggering an institutional crisis. He described how his recent parliamentary address prompted the President to summon him to the Presidential Palace for a private discussion. « He made it clear that continuing our partnership would be challenging due to statements I had made that were causing complications, » Sonko recounted. « I told him the decision was entirely his to make. »

During their conversation, Sonko clarified that he had made it clear their meeting was not a negotiation but a straightforward exchange. « I insisted there had been no discussion to reach a compromise, and we shouldn’t give that impression, » he asserted.

Offer to step down and shift to the National Assembly

The former Prime Minister disclosed that he had repeatedly offered to resign from his position to take a seat in the National Assembly, believing his presence in government was hindering the President’s ability to govern effectively. « On three separate occasions, I proposed: If you feel I’m overshadowing your leadership, let’s discuss it, and I’ll transition to the Assembly. We could appoint another PASTEF Prime Minister. Each time, he declined my offer, » Sonko stated, adding that Minister Alioune Sall was present during some of these discussions.

He went on to describe how President Bassirou Diomaye Faye-Diakhar requested time to reflect before their next meeting. « Upon returning home, I received a message from him informing me that he had made his decision and would announce it shortly, » Sonko revealed. The official announcement of his dismissal followed shortly thereafter. « I later saw Oumar Samba Ba make the announcement, » he concluded.