Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dismissed any hint of a feud with Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko whose recent statements fueled speculation about tensions at the highest levels of government.
President Faye on Monday insisted that there was no conflict between the two of them and reiterated their shared commitment to addressing the difficulties facing the Senegalese people.
There were question marks over his relationship with the prime minister after Ousmane Sonko’s remarks raised questions about cohesion at the highest levels of government.
Last Friday, PM Sonko called for greater toughness from the head of state and an end to attacks against him, in a climate marked by the rise of columnists suspected of being close to the opposition.
Receiving the report of the National Dialogue on the Political System on Monday, President Faye responded by assuring Senegalese that there was “no conflict” between him and his head of government.
“The Prime Minister said it. He’s my friend. There is no conflict between us. (…) The only worthwhile fight is the fight against the difficulties that the Senegalese people are enduring, that we ourselves are enduring as a government,” the president said, calling for unity in the face of economic and social challenges.
Handpicked by Ousmane Sonko as the Pastef party candidate for the presidential election, initially
scheduled for February 2024 but ultimately held in March, Bassirou Diomaye Faye won the election in the first round against the candidate of the ruling Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition.
