Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Monday appointed Ahmadou El Aminou Low as the African country’s new prime minister.
Lou replaces Ousmane Sonko, who was fired on Friday after months of tension between him and the president.
The dismissal caused all members of the government to resign and the government was dissolved.
Low, who will now have to form a new government, previously served as head of the Senegal branch of the Central Bank of West African States. He also served as Minister of State to the President and Secretary General of the Sonko government.
A presidential order announcing his appointment said Lo knows “the inner workings of the economy and finance”.
catastrophic debt crisis
Following the appointment, the new Prime Minister appeared on state television and noted the country’s “difficult financial situation”.
The new Prime Minister said, “We must all be aware that our country is currently in a state of emergency. In particular, the state of public finances and its impact on the economy.” “Senegal is a safe and reliable country and intends to remain so.”
Senegal is struggling with a huge debt burden of 132% of GDP.
After discovering the misreported loan, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) froze a $1.8 billion loan to the country. Faye and Sonko had openly disagreed on negotiations with the IMF for the revival of the program.
From allies to rivals
Both men were former associates of the party known as Pastef, short for its French name, Patriotes Africains du Senegal pour le Travel, l’Ethique et la Fraternité (“African Patriots for Work, Morality and Brotherhood”).
Sonko is the head of the party.
But he was barred from running for president in 2024 after Senegal’s Supreme Court upheld his defamation conviction and the Constitutional Court rejected his candidacy.
Following the decision, Faye ran to replace Sonko and later appointed Sonko as Prime Minister.
Will Sonko become the Speaker of Parliament?
Pastef dominates the National Assembly, controlling 130 out of 165 representatives.
On Sunday, Parliament Speaker L. Malik Ndiaye, a close ally of Sonko, resigned from his post. The move cleared the way for Sonko to become head of parliament, which would give him the opportunity to challenge the president’s authority.
Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on Tuesday morning to elect “the reinstatement of Deputy Ousmane Sonko” and the next speaker of the National Assembly, according to an official document published late Sunday.
Edited by: Sam Dusan Inayatullah