Senegal appoints economist Lo as new prime minister following Sonko’s dismissal

Senegal’s president announced on Monday that he had appointed a senior economist as prime minister, following the dismissal of his former mentor, Ousmane Sonko, in a move that shocked the political landscape.

The decision comes amid a deepening political crisis after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dissolved the government and sacked Sonko on Friday, after months of escalating tensions.

Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, a former central banker who worked at the Central Bank of West African States, was named to the position. A decree issued on Monday highlighted that Lo “knows the inner workings of the economy and finance.”

Senegal is burdened by a debt that equals 132 percent of its GDP. When Faye and Sonko came to power in 2024, they accused the previous administration of concealing part of the debt, which led to the suspension of a $1.8 billion IMF aid programme that had been agreed in 2023.

In his first statement after the appointment, Lo said, “Senegal is a safe and viable country and intends to remain so,” referring to the country’s “difficult financial situation.” He added, “This is not a change of direction but of method,” citing integrity, transparency, and “economic and cultural sovereignty” – values that Sonko had also promoted.

Senegal’s parliament is scheduled to decide on Tuesday whether to appoint Sonko as speaker, a move that has angered the opposition, which has described it as a coup.

Faye’s authority largely stems from his relationship with Sonko, his former mentor, who would almost certainly have assumed the prime ministerial role had he not been barred from running in the last presidential election due to a defamation conviction.

The two men have recently fallen out over how to address Senegal’s public debt. Faye seeks to negotiate a new aid programme with the IMF, whereas Sonko favours a domestic, sovereigntist approach.

Both men’s party, Pastef, won an outright majority in the first round of the 2024 elections, promising political reform and a fight against corruption to revive the struggling economy.

Sonko attracted a passionate following among Senegal’s disaffected youth ahead of the 2024 poll, but it is Faye who wields the real power as president, allowing him to dismiss the head of government by decree.

After being elected as a lawmaker in the November 2024 legislative elections, Sonko requested his mandate be suspended a month later, according to his party, after Faye appointed him prime minister days after his electoral triumph in April.

Sunday saw the resignation of speaker and close Sonko ally El Malick Ndiaye, paving the way for Sonko to become head of parliament. Pastef holds a strong majority with 130 deputies out of 165, giving Sonko a platform to challenge Faye’s authority.

Parliamentarians are set to vote at 9:00 am Tuesday (0900 GMT) on the “reinstatement of the deputy Ousmane Sonko” and to elect the next president of the National Assembly, according to an official document released late Sunday.

– ‘Institutional coup’ –

The opposition reacted angrily, with Aissata Tall Sall, who heads the main opposition coalition, denouncing an “institutional coup” that she said was being prepared under “pressure that the majority wants to impose.”

Sall said she believed Sonko should first resign as prime minister to sit temporarily in parliament before returning to government if he wanted to become a lawmaker again.

She urged Faye to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council to avoid what she called “an illegal diktat of the majority” and to protect the country’s institutions.

Parliament must approve Faye’s choice of successor to Sonko as premier within three months of his nomination. The president cannot dissolve parliament until November, two years after the last parliamentary election.

A reform of the electoral code that was just approved by parliament now makes Sonko eligible to run for the presidency, raising the possibility that the two former allies could one day contest the top job against each other.

The post Senegal names economist Lo as new PM after Sonko’s sacking appeared first on Vanguard News.