The National Assembly has elected Senegal’s former prime minister Ousmane Sonko as speaker, only days after the president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, dismissed him from office amid rising political tensions. Sonko, founder of the ruling Pastef party, secured overwhelming support from lawmakers despite opposition parties boycotting the vote and denouncing the move as unconstitutional. The dramatic split between the two former allies risks deepening instability in Senegal as the country faces a severe debt crisis and growing economic pressure. Sonko pledged not to create ‘institutional chaos’, but insisted that parliament would not become a ‘rubber stamp’ for government decisions. Meanwhile, President Faye has appointed economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo as the new prime minister in an effort to reassure international lenders and investors. The outcome of this political struggle will dramatically affect the future direction of one of West Africa’s most important democracies.