World
West Africa
Senegal's reformist dream cracks as Faye fires Sonko and the IMF clock ticks
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed PM Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government on 22 May 2026, fracturing the PASTEF movement that won power in 2024. The split turns on economics: Sonko resisted raising fuel prices and IMF-backed restructuring of Senegal's roughly $13bn debt, while Faye's team pushes reforms to unlock a frozen $1.8bn IMF programme. On 26 May, lawmakers made Sonko parliament speaker, creating a rival power centre as IMF talks resume.