Senegal’s National Assembly elected former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko as its new speaker on Monday, a stunning reversal just 48 hours after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye sacked him and dissolved the cabinet amid an escalating debt crisis.
Lawmakers voted 132 in favour with one abstention and no votes against to install Sonko — who was the sole candidate — as the country’s parliamentary speaker, a position that places him seconds in line to the presidency and gives him control over legislative agendas and national budgets.
Sonko replaces El Malick Ndiaye, a Faye loyalist who resigned on Sunday, opening the door for what opposition leader Aissata Tall Sall branded an “institutional coup.” Sall said the move was orchestrated under pressure from the Pastef party, which Sonko leads and which controls 130 of the 165 parliamentary seats.
The political earthquake caps two days of extraordinary moves in Dakar:
- Friday: Faye dismisses Sonko as prime minister and dissolves the government over unresolved disagreements on handling Senegal’s debt crisis, which has left the country with debt servicing costs exceeding 60 percent of tax revenues
- Sunday: Ndiaye resigns as parliament speaker
- Monday: Sonko elected speaker with a near-unanimous vote
- Monday: Faye appoints economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo as the new prime minister
“What is at stake is the relationship between morality and politics,” Sonko told assembled lawmakers after his election. “I will not use this position to fight against anyone — only to act in the best interests of Senegalese citizens.” Yet Sonko has also made clear his dismissal does not mark the end of his political ambitions.
The crisis exposes deepening fractures within the ruling Pastef coalition that swept Faye to power in April 2024. Sonko, widely seen as Faye’s mentor, was barred from running for president that year due to a defamation conviction — and it was Sonko’s support that made Faye’s victory possible. Now the two men are on a direct collision course.
IMF negotiations at risk
Finance analysts warn the institutional stand-off could derail ongoing bailout negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. Reuters reported Monday that Sonko’s removal complicates IMF talks and heightens bondholder risk, with Senegal’s debt-to-GDP ratio projected to exceed 135 percent by year end.
One senior IMF official, speaking on background, said any suspension of the programme could trigger a sovereign credit event: “Senegal cannot afford a political vacuum at this moment. The macro numbers are extremely fragile.”
Regional and diplomatic implications
West African political analysts say the confrontation could reshape the political map of the Sahel and coastal West Africa. Sonko’sPastef party has been a vocal critic of ECOWAS and Western institutions, while Faye has signalled openness to re-engaging multilateral creditors and rebuilding ties with European partners.
A presidential spokesperson said Faye “takes note” of Monday’s parliamentary vote and will work “within constitutional bounds” to advance national interests. No date has been set for a new cabinet to be sworn in.
“This is the most serious institutional confrontation Senegal has faced since its independence. The constitution was designed for moments like this — but nobody expected this precise scenario.”
— Prof. Ibrahima Sory, University of Dakar, constitutional law
The political crisis unfolds as Senegal hosts the Africa Cup of Nations final this week, with thousands of regional visitors in the country — adding a humanitarian dimension to any escalation.
Article updated May 26, 2026 at 14:42 UTC
