Senegal is facing the prospect of political gridlock after former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced that his ruling coalition would not join the newly formed government. The decision follows months of growing friction between Sonko and president Bassirou Diomaye Faye and comes at a time when the country is struggling with unprecedented levels of debt.
Sonko and Faye were once close allies within the PASTEF party (Patriotes Africains du Senegal pour le Travail, l'Ethique et la Fraternite). Although Faye holds the presidency, Sonko remains the leader of PASTEF, which commands a dominant position in parliament with 130 0f the 165 seats.
"We are entering a real opposition dynamic,” Babacar Ndiaye, a political analyst at the Senegal-based Wathi think tank said on Tuesday, adding that PASTEF could call a vote of no confidence against the new government that could create a governance gridlock.
The government announced on Monday by the new Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo includes no major figures from the ruling majority or close associates of Sonko, who previously held key ministries.
Sonko, who has said that PASTEF would “not participate in this government due to points of disagreement" with Faye and Lo, was sacked alongside all other ministers in May following months of tensions between him and the president.
While Faye and Sonko used to be allies when they came to power in April 2024, the two have openly disagreed on key policies in recent months, including about negotiations for a loan from the International Monetary Fund.
Senegal is facing a deepening debt crisis and rising cost of living and has one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios in Africa. A government audit last year revealed a larger-than-reported debt of $13 billion attributed to the previous administration.
