Sonkomania: Senegal's ousted PM strikes a chord with disaffected youth

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]This isn't the first time Senegal's newly ousted Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has been fired. A former tax inspector, he was sacked after accusing a high-ranking official of fraud. He went on to found the Pastef party in 2014 and is still known for his anti-corruption message. The charismatic 51-year-old has a passionate following among the country's disaffected youth.

[00:00:27]Their response to his pan-African and anti-colonial rhetoric led to the term Sonko-mania.

[00:00:35]When a conviction for defamation barred him from running for president in 2024, Sonko backed his fellow Pastef member Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Faye appointed Sonko Prime Minister, but the two soon clashed over the direction of their coalition government and Sonko's outspoken criticism. Faye has retaken control, but come 2029, Sonko is sure to prove a fierce rival for the presidency.