Ousmane Sonko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ousmane Sonko
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Sonko 2023
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| 16th Prime Minister of Senegal | |
| Assumed office 3 April 2024 |
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| President | Bassirou Diomaye Faye |
| Preceded by | Sidiki Kaba |
| Leader of PASTEF | |
| Assumed office January 2014 |
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| General Secretary | Bassirou Diomaye Faye |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Mayor of Ziguinchor | |
| In office 10 February 2022 – 6 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Abdoulaye Baldé |
| Succeeded by | Djibril Sonko |
| Member of the National Assembly of Senegal | |
| In office 14 September 2017 – 12 September 2022 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 July 1974 Thiès, Senegal |
| Political party | PASTEF (2014–present) |
| Children | 6 |
| Alma mater | Gaston Berger University |
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Ousmane Sonko (born 15 July 1974) is a Senegalese politician. He is the current Prime Minister of Senegal, a role he has held since April 2024. He is also the leader of a political party called PASTEF, which he helped start in 2014.
Sonko ran for president in the 2019 election and finished third. He was an important leader who spoke out against the former president, Macky Sall. In 2024, he became Prime Minister after his close ally, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, won the presidential election.
Early Life and Education
Ousmane Sonko was born in Thiès, a city in Senegal. He spent his childhood in different places, including Sébikhotane and Casamance. His father was from Casamance, and his mother was from Khombole.
He finished high school in 1993. Later, in 1999, he earned a master's degree in Law from Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis. He also studied at the National School of Administration and the Judiciary.
Before becoming a politician, Sonko worked for 15 years as a tax official. In 2016, he shared information about how some companies might have avoided paying taxes. This led to his job as a tax official ending. In 2018, he wrote a book called Pétrole et gaz au Sénégal about his findings.
Political Journey
In 2014, Sonko started a political party called the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity, known as PASTEF. From 2017 to 2022, he was a member of the National Assembly, which is like the country's parliament.
In 2018, Sonko published another book, Solutions, which shared his ideas for the country. He ran for president in the 2019 election. He suggested that Senegal should use its own currency instead of the CFA franc. In that election, Macky Sall was re-elected, and Sonko came in third place with 16% of the votes.
In September 2021, Sonko helped create a group called "Free the People" (Yewwi askan wi). Their goal was to win more seats in local councils. In the 2022 local elections, Sonko was elected as the Mayor of Ziguinchor. His group also won control of local councils in other major cities, including Dakar. They also gained 56 out of 165 seats in the National Assembly.
Becoming Prime Minister
After his close friend, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, won the presidential election, Ousmane Sonko was chosen to be the Prime Minister of Senegal. This happened shortly after Faye became president on 2 April 2024. Sonko officially announced his government on 5 April. He described it as a "breakaway" government, meaning it would bring big changes that the people of Senegal had voted for.
As Prime Minister, Sonko has talked about the presence of French military in Senegal. He has also discussed how Western ideas might not fit with Senegalese and African traditions. He has called for changes to ECOWAS, a group of West African countries, because he believes it has become divided.
In September 2024, Sonko announced that a review of government money under the previous president, Macky Sall, showed "widespread issues" and problems with financial numbers. Sonko promised to investigate this further.
In February 2025, Sonko said that he had reached an agreement with a group called the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) to help end the Casamance conflict. This agreement was made after talks in Guinea-Bissau. One part of the MFDC agreed to stop fighting, but another part did not.
In May 2025, Ousmane Sonko stated that the CFA Franc, even with new rules, still causes problems for Senegal's economy and its identity. In July 2025, he spoke about the need for stronger leadership in Senegal from the government itself.
See also
In Spanish: Ousmane Sonko para niños
