In a fiery address delivered this Sunday, July 12, 2026, on the sidelines of Pastef’s headquarters inauguration in Touba, Ousmane Sonko, the former Prime Minister and current President of the National Assembly, issued a stark warning to unseat Al Aminou Lo’s government. He accuses the administration of squandering the nation’s natural resources to multinational corporations and has pledged to introduce legislation requiring parliamentary approval for all future petroleum agreements.
Less than two months after his dismissal from the Prime Minister’s office by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Ousmane Sonko, now presiding over the National Assembly, delivered a direct ultimatum to the new head of government, Al Aminou Lo.
Speaking in a particularly vehement Wolof, Sonko charged the new Prime Minister with betraying the initial economic sovereignty pledges made by the ruling power, specifically concerning the management of gas and phosphate reserves. He condemned the current governmental team, alleging that under the guise of enhancing the “business environment,” they are actively “selling off” Senegal’s valuable natural resources to major international firms, explicitly naming BP and Kosmos as partners. For Sonko, these actions mirror the most egregious missteps of the previous Macky Sall era.
“We are well aware of the role he played in this political situation,” Ousmane Sonko had previously declared in early June regarding Al Aminou Lo. This Sunday, he escalated his rhetoric to direct institutional threats, brandishing the powerful tool of a motion of censure. “If they proceed in this manner, if they fail to respect the nation’s interests, we will bring down this government,” he proclaimed to a cheering crowd, vowing to repeat the procedure as many times as necessary to prevent what he perceives as a compromise of Senegalese interests.
The parliament as a guardian of hydrocarbon agreements
To counteract the government’s current policy direction, the Pastef leader announced the imminent submission of a sweeping legislative proposal, to be championed by a parliamentarian from his party. This groundbreaking bill would mandate that the State secure prior approval from the National Assembly for any allocation of oil or gas blocks. “Before any oil block is granted, it will need to be brought before the Assembly for deputies to approve and verify its alignment with Senegal’s best interests,” he elaborated, citing Norway’s transparent model as an example.
This assertive move aligns perfectly with Ousmane Sonko’s long-standing fight over hydrocarbon management. During his tenure as Prime Minister in spring 2026, he spearheaded a comprehensive transparency initiative, exposing “inherited contracts” that he deemed non-compliant with the petroleum code and celebrating “major victories” in renegotiating blocks such as Yakaar-Teranga.
Today, he criticizes the new government and recent appointments, particularly within Petrosen, for allegedly intending to halt these crucial renegotiation efforts.
