Senegal’s political crisis escalated as President Bassirou Diomaye Faye replaced Ousmane Sonko with economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo as prime minister, intensifying a rift at the top of the state while parliament prepares a tense vote on Sonko’s reinstatement as lawmaker.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye appointed senior economist and former central banker Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo as prime minister, days after abruptly dismissing his former mentor Ousmane Sonko and dissolving the government.
Lo, praised for his expertise in financial systems, takes office as Senegal grapples with a debt burden reaching 132% of GDP and a suspended $1.8 billion IMF programme.
A political rupture at the top of the state
The dismissal of Sonko — a hugely popular figure and key architect of Faye’s rise — marks the climax of months of tension between the two men.
