Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has intensified his assertiveness within Senegal’s executive by dismissing a senior health official deeply embedded in Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s inner circle, signaling what observers see as a more direct confrontation with Sonko-aligned networks.
The decision, announced during Wednesday’s Council of Ministers, removes Professor Ousmane Cissé from his post as Director General of Public Health after 19 months in office. He is replaced by Youssouph Tine, a former regional health director in Ziguinchor.
Beyond his administrative role, Cissé is widely known as Sonko’s personal physician. He notably examined the prime minister and issued medical reports after Sonko was exposed to tear gas while attempting to force his way through Cheikh Anta Diop University on the day of his court appearance in a high-profile case against Mame Mbaye Niang.
That episode cemented his position as a trusted figure within Sonko’s immediate circle.
His dismissal has therefore been interpreted within political and party circles as more than a routine administrative change.
Members of the health wing of the ruling PASTEF party have denounced the move as “brutal” and “unjustified,” questioning its underlying motivations and accusing Health Minister Ibrahima Sy of marginalizing key party loyalists.
The presidency has pushed back against claims of political intent. Bassirou Dieng, from the communication unit of the ruling coalition, argued that if the decision were politically driven, a broader purge would be evident. He emphasized the president’s constitutional authority to appoint and dismiss officials.
However, Cissé’s removal fits into a broader pattern. In recent months, other figures closely associated with Sonko, including Bassirou Kébé at SN-HLM and activist-rapper Kilifeu at the Grand Théâtre, have also been removed from strategic positions.
Additional factors have been cited in Cissé’s case, including a reported legal dispute involving alleged online insults directed at the head of Aristide Le Dantec Hospital. Still, no official explanation has directly linked the matter to his dismissal.
Taken together, the developments point to a recalibration of power within Senegal’s leadership, with President Faye increasingly moving against individuals seen as extensions of Sonko’s influence.
What began as isolated administrative reshuffles is now being viewed as a deliberate effort to assert presidential control over key institutions, bringing underlying tensions within the ruling establishment into sharper focus.
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