Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, both from the ruling Pastef party, have issued conflicting statements over the leadership of the ruling coalition, sparking concerns of a power struggle.
The disagreement comes as Senegal is trying to negotiate a new lending program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after a $1.8 billion financial support package was frozen last year due to undisclosed debts of over $11 billion.
Faye has appointed former Prime Minister Aminata Toure, a close ally, to lead the coalition, while Sonko’s Pastef party insists on recognizing Aissatou Mbodj, close to Sonko, as the leader.
Sonko had recently stated that IMF officials were pushing for debt restructuring, which the government would not accept, causing Senegal’s international bonds to drop.
The IMF has discussed options with Senegal to address significant debt vulnerabilities, but emphasizes that restructuring is a sovereign decision.
The discord raises concerns of further delays in IMF negotiations, with Senegal’s bonds already hitting a four-month low.
