Constitutional Council: Ousmane Sonko case takes a new turn

Senegal's Constitutional Council is set to decide on the reinstatement of Ousmane Sonko, former Prime Minister and current National Assembly speaker, after opposition lawmakers seized the court. Former judge Hamidou Ibrahima Dème argues the Council cannot declare itself incompetent without breaking with its own precedent, particularly a ruling from February 15, 2024. The case is part of an open political crisis between the president and Sonko, who was dismissed on May 22, 2026.