Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has defied Ousmane Sonko’s call to keep PASTEF/Les Patriotes out of new government, unveils a new 30-member cabinet that includes at least 4 PASTEF party members and officials who served under former President Macky Sall.
Faye distances himself from Sonko while opening the door to Sall. The move is striking given that Sonko and Faye were jailed during the Sall era and repeatedly accused his administration of political persecution and repression against the opposition.
Mouhamadou Mactar Cissé, now Minister of the Interior and Public Security, previously held the same position under former President Macky Sall. He also served as Sall’s Chief of Staff (Director of Cabinet), Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Minister of Budget, and Director-General of Customs.
Cheikh Diba, who has been retained as Minister of Economy, Finance and Planning, previously served in senior positions within Macky Sall’s administration, including as a budget official, adviser at the Ministry of Finance, coordinator of IMF-supported programs and Director of Budget Programming.
Cheikh Niang, now Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, is a career diplomat who served as Senegal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations under Macky Sall before joining the Faye–Sonko administration as foreign minister.
Marie Angélique Mame Selbé Diou, now Minister of Family, Social Action and Solidarity, is a member of parliament and vice-president of the PASTEF–Les Patriotes parliamentary group.
Moussa Bala Fofana, Minister of Urban Planning, Local Authorities and Territorial Development, is among the most recognizable PASTEF loyalists in government, having played a key role in organizing and expanding the party’s presence in the Diourbel region.
Ibrahim Sy, now Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, is a PASTEF party loyalist.
Yankoba Diémé, now Minister of the Armed Forces (formerly Minister of Transport) is a PASTEF member.
Bakary Sow serves as Minister of Communication and Relations with Institutions, while also acting as the government’s official spokesperson.
