1. Ousmane Sonko is a Senegalese politician and former tax official who is serving as the 16th prime minister of Senegal since 2024, and as the leader of PASTEF since the party's foundation in January 2014.
22 Facts About Ousmane Sonko
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Ousmane Sonko was born in Thies and spent his childhood in Sebikhotane and Casamance.
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Ousmane Sonko's father was from Casamance and his mother was from Khombole.
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Ousmane Sonko received his baccalaureate in the year 1993, and graduated with a master's degree in Juridical Science from Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis in 1999.
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Ousmane Sonko subsequently attended the National School of Administration and the Judiciary.
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In 2014, Ousmane Sonko founded the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity.
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In 2018, Ousmane Sonko published Solutions, a book in which he put forward his political manifesto.
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Ousmane Sonko was a candidate in the 2019 presidential election, where he called for Senegal to replace the franc with a domestic currency.
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In September 2021, Ousmane Sonko launched the coalition "Free the People" with the aim of gaining seats in municipal and departmental councils controlled by parties within Macky's presidential coalition, United in Hope.
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Ousmane Sonko's coalition managed to gain control of local councils from United in Hope, notably in Dakar, in addition to 56 of the 165 parliamentary seats in the National Assembly.
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On 3 March 2021, Ousmane Sonko was arrested near Cheikh Anta Diop University and charged with disturbing public order; Ousmane Sonko called the charges false and politically motivated.
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Ousmane Sonko's arrest led to protests; clashes between the police and student protestors in Dakar, Bignona and Diaobe led to 14 reported deaths.
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Protests against Ousmane Sonko's detainment occurred internationally, with one outside the United Nations headquarters in New York City, United States, calling for Ousmane Sonko's release from prison.
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On 8 May 2023, following an appeal, Ousmane Sonko received a six-month suspended prison sentence for defamation and insults against Mame Mbaye Niang.
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Ousmane Sonko had not attended the trial, calling the investigation politically motivated and evidence of malpractice.
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Ousmane Sonko's conviction made Sonko ineligible to stand as a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, which prompted protests to occur throughout Senegal.
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Some supporters of Ousmane Sonko have stated that due to "corrupting youth" being considered a misdemeanour rather than a crime under Senegal law, that Ousmane Sonko was still able to run; in July 2023, he was named as PASTEF's presidential candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
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On 28 July 2023, Ousmane Sonko was arrested again and accused of "disturbing the public order".
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On 6 August 2023, Ousmane Sonko was reportedly hospitalised following a week-long hunger strike in protest of his arrest.
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On 14 December 2023, the verdict in the new trial on the eligibility of Ousmane Sonko was rendered and Ousmane Sonko was declared eligible and reinstated on the electoral lists.
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Ousmane Sonko has called for a reform of ECOWAS for allowing divisions within the bloc to develop, which had led to the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States.
22.
On 25 February 2025, Ousmane Sonko claimed that he had reached an agreement with the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance to end the Casamance conflict following talks hosted and mediated by Guinea-Bissau.