Senegal’s new cabinet bolsters president’s hand against former ally, analysts say

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has moved quickly to consolidate his authority by naming a new cabinet without his estranged mentor and former prime minister, Ousmane Sonko, a decision analysts say will likely sideline efforts to block his reform agenda — at least for now.

The open rift between Faye and Sonko, once close allies who rode a wave of anti-establishment sentiment to power, has plunged the West African nation into a fresh political crisis amid rising public debt and economic stagnation. Faye’s announcement of a 30-member cabinet on Monday came less than two weeks after he fired Sonko and dissolved the previous government, citing deep disagreements over economic policy and governance.

Sonko’s allies responded swiftly, electing him speaker of the National Assembly just days earlier — a position that gives him a powerful platform, though not the ability to dictate the executive’s agenda. As the undisputed leader of the Pastef party, which holds 130 of the 165 seats in the single-chamber legislature, Sonko initially pledged not to “orchestrate institutional chaos” but warned the Assembly would not become a “rubber-stamp body.”

Yet seasoned observers suggest his capacity to obstruct Faye is limited. “He will not be able to block government action… at most, he could slow it down,” retired senior civil servant Youssou Diallo told AFP. Diallo noted that Senegal’s political system is fundamentally presidential. “The nature of our system is presidential. It grants greater powers to the president — he is the keystone of the institution, commands the armed forces and can dissolve the Assembly,” he said.

Now operating without Sonko’s mentorship, Faye “has surrounded himself with people who enable him to fully exercise his functions,” said Ousmane Sene, director of Dakar-based research centre WARC. While Pastef’s legislative majority retains the power to censure the government, Diallo pointed out that Faye can invoke “exceptional powers” to govern by decree for up to three months if a deadlock arises. Starting in November, after two years in office, he will also gain the constitutional authority to dissolve the National Assembly and call new elections to secure a workable majority.

Hours before the new cabinet was announced, Sonko declared that Pastef “will not take part and will not be represented by any ministers.” Yet about a dozen party members and Sonko loyalists appeared on Faye’s final list, underscoring internal divisions. “If some within Pastef are unconditional supporters of Sonko, others do not fully share in Sonko’s actions,” Sene observed. Diallo went further: “Most of Ousmane Sonko’s allies have left him, as have several prominent activists. Pastef appears to be going through a phase of implosion.” He added, “On the other hand, President Diomaye Faye seems to have come out stronger from this confrontation.”

Sonko, who was barred from running in the last presidential election because of a defamation conviction, had designated Faye as his replacement. Their relationship began to fray in July 2025, when Sonko — then prime minister — publicly accused Faye of a “problem of authority” in the country. The rupture has since deepened, with local elections scheduled for 2027 and the next presidential contest set for 2029.

Against this backdrop, Faye’s gamble appears to be paying off — for now. By locking out his former mentor, he has signaled that he will not be managed from the backbench, even as his own party prepares to hold a congress this weekend to confirm Sonko as its formal leader. The outcome will test whether Pastef can hold together, or whether Senegal’s ruling movement is headed for a lasting split.