Senegal's president sacks prime minister Sonko after months of tensions

Bassirou Diomaye Faye also dissolved the government, creating uncertainty amid a debt crisis in the country. Senegal President Faye sacks prime minister Sonko after months or tensions Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye (right) owes his job, in large part, to Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko (left) Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko is pictured with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye Senegal's president sacks prime minister Sonko after months of tensions Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has sacked Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the nation's government after months of tensions between the two men. A shock decree, read out on TV by a presidential aide, said Faye had "ended the duties of Ousmane Sonko... and consequently those of the ministers and secretaries of state who are members of the government". Sonko, a popular figure among Senegal's youth, said on social media that he would "sleep with a light heart". The split comes as the country faces mounting economic pressure, with its public debt having reached the equivalent of 132% of its GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sonko's dismissal followed a parliamentary session on Tuesday, during which the prime minister openly criticised Faye. Faye was in the unusual situation of owing his position, in large part, to his prime minister's popularity. Sonko would almost certainly have taken the top job had he not been barred from running in 2024's elections due to a defamation conviction. Sonko would almost certainly have taken the top job had he not been barred from running in 2024's elections due to a defamation conviction However, Sonko backed Faye's bid for presidency and the pair went on to win - an extraordinary victory given they were both in prison until 10 days before the election. However, Sonko backed Faye's bid for presidency and the pair went on to win - an extraordinary victory given they were both in prison until 10 days before the election Late on Tuesday night, several hundred students demonstrated on the streets of capital city, Dakar, declaring their support for Sonko. Tensions between Sonko and Faye have been on display for months. Faye had reportedly criticised Sonko's "excessive personalisation" within the ruling party Pastef, while Sonko accused the president of a "failure of leadership" for not defending him against his critics. A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Iliman Ndiaye insists Senegal are African champions in "many people's eyes" despite a legal wrangle over the ultimate destination of the 2025 Afcon title. Al-Nassr forward Sadio Mane is included in Senegal's 28-man squad for this summer's World Cup. Ghana will face fellow West African heavyweights Ivory Coast in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Those caught up in West Africa's Ebola outbreak a decade ago on how best to tackle the current epidemic. The head of the UN health agency says the risk in the wider region is "high", but it remains "low" at the global level. Grieving relatives and friends of a suspected Ebola victim were prevented from taking his body for burial. The sanctions come amid growing scrutiny of Tanzania’s human rights record in recent years. The India-Africa summit was set to be held next week in Delhi after more than a decade.