Senegal parliament elects ousted prime minister Sonko as speaker

DAKAR - Senegal's parliament elected ousted prime minister Ousmane Sonko as speaker on Tuesday, a move that could give him a powerful platform to challenge President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

Faye dismissed Sonko on Friday and dissolved the cabinet, ending months of speculation about a growing rift between the two over how to handle the country's debt crisis.

The move has intensified uncertainty over how the government would repay its loans after it discovered billions in unreported debt.

Lawmakers rebelled by reinstating Sonko as a member and voting to elect him as speaker with 132 votes in favour.

The opposition described the manoeuvre as a scandal and questioned the legitimacy of the appointment.

"What is happening is a black day at the National Assembly," said opposition lawmaker Abdou Mbow.

(Reporting by Diadie Ba and Ayen Deng Bior; Editing by Jessica Donati and Alexander Winning)

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 4:17 AM.