Senegal President Announces New Cabinet, Opposition Boycotts

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced a new government on Monday, a move immediately boycotted by his former ally and the leader of the parliamentary majority, Ousmane Sonko. The development deepens a political crisis in the West African nation as it grapples with a severe debt situation.

President Faye named senior economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo as the new prime minister during a live television broadcast. Lo subsequently read out a list of 30 ministers. The cabinet includes several members of the Pastef party, which controls 130 of the 165 seats in Senegal’s National Assembly. However, the list was notable for the absence of several senior Pastef figures who had served in the previous government.

Shortly before the announcement, Ousmane Sonko, who was fired as prime minister by Faye on May 22, stated that his party would not participate in the new administration. Sonko said he met with the president on Monday and that points of disagreement emerged regarding the future role of Pastef within the executive. Therefore, Pastef will not participate in the next government and will not be represented by any ministers, Sonko said in a statement on social media....