The dismissal of Senegal's Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, and the dissolution of his government by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye risks exacerbating the uncertainty, according to observers.
The country is already grappling with a debt crisis and endless negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
Ousmane Sonko, founder of the Party of African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity - PASTEF, was prevented from running in the 2024 presidential election, as he was a fierce opponent of President Macky Sall.
The 51-year-old man was under a defamation conviction that resulted in the loss of his civil rights, and a wave of popular protests against Macky Sall and the possibility of him running for a third term.
Sonko then designated Bassirou Diomaye Faye as the Pastef candidate who, after his victory, would appoint his mentor as prime minister.
Since then, tensions have continued to rise between the president and his charismatic prime minister, whose considerable influence had helped bring the duo to power.
With pan-Africanist rhetoric, Ousmane Sonko had aroused passionate enthusiasm among the disillusioned youth of Senegal in the lead-up to the last presidential election.
Resigning on Friday evening, Sonko posted on social media: "Alhamdoulillah. Tonight, I will sleep with a light heart in the Keur Gorgui neighborhood," a Dakar neighborhood where his home is located, Mr. Sonko immediately reacted on his Facebook account.
