Overview
- President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced a 30‑member cabinet led by economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo after sacking Ousmane Sonko and dissolving the previous government.
- Sonko said Pastef will not take part in the new government and was reinstated and elected speaker by roughly 132 lawmakers, giving his party control of about 130 of 165 seats in the National Assembly.
- Reports conflict over whether any Pastef members joined the cabinet, with some outlets saying none were named and others identifying up to five allies who accepted posts against party instructions.
- The split comes as Senegal is negotiating to restart an IMF program that was frozen after a 2024 audit found roughly $13 billion in misreported liabilities that pushed debt to about 132% of GDP and paused a $1.8 billion loan.
- Analysts warn Sonko’s parliamentary majority gives him means to delay or censure the government and could raise borrowing costs and squeeze public services, while the president retains constitutional options such as three months of decree powers and eventual dissolution to break a deadlock.