The fragile political alliance that governed Senegal has shattered. President Macky Sall dismissed Prime Minister Amadou Ba on Wednesday, ending a months-long power struggle with a man once considered his closest ally. The move, confirmed by presidential decree, throws the West African nation into uncertainty just as it grapples with rising food prices and youth unemployment that have fuelled street protests.
For weeks, the rift between Sall and Ba had been an open secret in Dakar. Ba, a former finance minister credited with steering Senegal’s economy through the pandemic, had grown increasingly critical of the president’s handling of the cost of living crisis. Sources close to the prime minister say he pushed for subsidies on basic goods and a review of contracts with foreign mining firms, moves that put him at odds with Sall’s more cautious, pro-business stance.
The breaking point came when Ba refused to endorse a new mining code that critics argue favours multinational corporations at the expense of local communities. In a televised address on Tuesday, Ba warned that “the patience of the Senegalese people has limits.” Within 24 hours, he was out of a job.
For ordinary Senegalese, the sacking is both a symptom and a cause of deeper instability. Bread prices have risen 20% this year, and a kilo of rice now costs more than a day’s wage for many. In the suburbs of Dakar, informal workers tell of shrinking incomes and mounting debts. The government’s decision to cut fuel subsidies in March, part of an IMF-backed reform programme, has only added to the strain.
“They fight among themselves while we go hungry,” said Mariama Diallo, a fishmonger in the Thiaroye market. “The president and his prime minister were once friends. Now we see what friendship means in politics.”
The sacking also exposes regional fault lines. Ba hails from the south, a region that has long chafed under what it sees as northern domination of state institutions. His dismissal may reignite calls for decentralisation and a fairer share of resources. Analysts fear the move could embolden opposition figures who have demanded Sall step down before his term ends in 2024.
Sall has not named a replacement, leaving the government in limbo. His office issued a brief statement thanking Ba for his service and pledging continuity. But behind the scenes, jockeying for position has already begun. Former ministers and technocrats are being whispered about as potential successors, though none carry Ba’s populist appeal.
Trade unions, which had backed Ba’s push for subsidies, have condemned the sacking as a blow to democratic debate. “The president has silenced a voice that spoke for the working class,” said Ibrahima Diop, secretary general of the National Union of Senegalese Workers. “We will not stand by while our living standards are sacrificed.”
The international community is watching closely. Senegal has long been held up as a beacon of stability in a volatile region. But the rupture between Sall and Ba risks exposing the limits of that stability when it rests on personal alliances rather than institutional checks. The IMF, which is due to review Senegal’s progress on fiscal consolidation next month, may now face renewed calls for a more flexible approach.
For now, the streets of Dakar are calm but tense. Street vendors hawk peanuts and mobile phone credit, but the usual banter is muted. In the working-class district of Pikine, residents gather around radios, listening for news of the next prime minister. Many fear the power struggle is far from over.
“This is not about two men,” said Ndeye Mbaye, a schoolteacher and mother of three. “It is about whether our country can feed its children. The president and his allies need to remember that.”
Senegal’s political crisis has echoes across the Sahel, where governments are under pressure from both rising prices and restive populations. Whether the sacking of Amadou Ba will be a turning point or just another twist in a family feud remains to be seen. But for millions of Senegalese, the real test lies not in the palace but in the kitchen, where the price of a bag of rice is the only politics that matters.
