France, June 15 -- On 22 May 2026, President Faye fired his long-standing political ally Sonko as prime minister and dissolved his entire government.

Just four days later Sonko was elected Speaker of Senegal's National Assembly, and in June he was re-elected leader of the ruling Pastef party with a resounding 589 out of 598 votes.

He spoke to RFI's Lea-Lisa Westerhoff and France 24's Marc Perelman at the National Assembly in Dakar on 14 June.

RFI: Three weeks after dismissing you, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye referred in his latest speech to the differences that have set you against each other for months, saying that "no quarrel is worth tearing apart the country we share". What do you make of that?

Ousmane Sonko: I do not think th...