Senegal’s parliament on Tuesday elected Ousmane Sonko as speaker of the National Assembly days after he was dismissed as prime minister by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, deepening signs of a power struggle at the top of the West African country’s leadership.
The move came after Faye dissolved the government on Friday and removed Sonko from office, ending months of speculation over growing tensions between the two allies, particularly over the handling of Senegal’s mounting debt crisis.
The political confrontation has raised fresh uncertainty over Dakar’s ability to manage its financial obligations after authorities revealed the existence of billions of dollars in previously unreported debt.
In a dramatic reversal, lawmakers reinstated Sonko as a member of parliament before electing him speaker with 132 votes in favor, handing the influential opposition figure a powerful institutional platform that could allow him to challenge the presidency from within the legislature.
The opposition denounced the move as politically controversial and questioned the legitimacy of the process.
“What is happening is a black day at the National Assembly,” opposition lawmaker Abdou Mbow said after the vote.
Sonko, one of Senegal’s most influential political figures, had played a central role in bringing Faye to power during the 2024 presidential election, but divisions between the two camps have increasingly surfaced amid economic difficulties and disagreements over governance priorities.
