Senegal’s Political Crisis Deepens as Parliament Speaker Quits Amid PM Sacking Fallout

Dakar, Senegal — The speaker of Senegal’s parliament has resigned, two days after his close ally was fired as prime minister, marking a new escalation in a political crisis that is sending shockwaves through one of West Africa’s most stable democracies.

El Malick Ndiaye, the outgoing parliament speaker, said on Facebook that his decision to step down was “a personal choice, guided above all by my notion of institutions, public responsibility and the greater interest of the nation.”

The move clears the way for sacked Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko to potentially run for the post of head of parliament, where his Pastef party holds a commanding majority — a scenario that could further complicate reform efforts by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

From Allies to Rivals

Faye owes his presidency in large part to Sonko, who would almost certainly have taken the top job had he not been barred from running in last year’s presidential election due to a defamation conviction. Both Faye and Sonko were former tax officials who were jailed ahead of the 2024 contest. They were released 10 days before the rescheduled election, which Faye went on to win with 54 percent of the vote.

Their Pastef party won the 2024 legislative elections on a promise of profound political shake-up, vowing to fight corruption and inherit an economy mired in debt. But there had been discord between the president and prime minister for months, making their governing alliance increasingly fragile.

Faye’s dismissal of Sonko on Friday has now risked sending the country into deeper uncertainty at a time when Senegal is grappling with a severe debt crisis and ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF Crisis

The IMF froze a $1.8 billion lending programme following the discovery of misreported debt hidden by the previous government, pushing the country’s end-2024 debt level to a staggering 132 percent of its economic output. Before Sonko’s dismissal, Finance Minister Cheikh Diba told parliament that the government expected to resume talks with the IMF in the second week of June, hoping to reach an agreement on key points by June 30.

Faye’s move to oust Sonko now threatens to derail those negotiations further, as the political instability may make international creditors more cautious about engaging with Dakar.

Supporters of the ousted prime minister have rallied outside his home in Dakar since the dismissal, with many expressing anger at what they see as a betrayal of the reform agenda they had fought for together.

Regional Implications

The crisis comes at a delicate moment for West Africa, a region still navigating the fallout from a wave of coups across the Sahel and shifting alliances within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Senegal had long been viewed as a beacon of democratic stability in an increasingly turbulent region. The current crisis, analysts warn, risks weakening that reputation just as the country needs maximum credibility with international partners.

Sonko, who has been a vocal critic of Western influence and championed an Afrocentric vision of governance, had clashed with Faye over the pace and direction of reforms. The dispute between the two men has increasingly come to define the fault lines within Senegal’s political landscape.

What’s Next

Parliamentary elections, if called, could reshape the balance of power in Dakar. With Pastef holding a strong majority in the National Assembly, Sonko’s potential return as speaker could create a parallel centre of authority that undermines the president’s ability to govern.

Observers say the situation demands calm and institutional respect from all sides. “What Senegal cannot afford right now is institutional paralysis,” said a West African political analyst who asked not to be named. “The economy is on a knife-edge, and the international community is watching closely.”

For ordinary Senegalese, the crisis is unfolding against a backdrop of high unemployment, inflation and a cost-of-living squeeze that has tested patience with political promises. Whether the institutions built over decades of democratic practice will hold through this storm remains to be seen.