Rédaction Africa Links 24 with pierre Dieme
Published on 2024-04-06 10:03:26
The composition of the new government formed by Ousmane Sonko was unveiled yesterday, Friday, April 5. It consists of 25 ministers and 5 secretaries of state. Jean Baptiste Tine is in charge of the Ministry of the Interior, Birame Diop heads the Armed Forces, Ousmane Diagne is the Minister of Justice, Yacine Fall oversees African Integration and Foreign Affairs, and the Diomaye Sonko duo signals a break.
Rupture! It is not just an empty word. As promised during the electoral campaign, the Diomaye-Sonko duo has established a small government of 25 ministers that will work towards a rupture. First, it is noteworthy in the order of protocol the focus given to the Department of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, held by Yacine Fall. The name of this ministry highlights the pan-Africanism alluded to by the Patriotic Africans of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity Party (Pastef). Here, African Integration takes precedence over Foreign Affairs. Beyond this observation, it can also be noted in the brand new government that ministries of sovereignty are assigned to individuals with no political affiliation, such as General Birame Diop, former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces appointed as Minister of the Armed Forces. There is also Ousmane Diagne, the Prosecutor General of the Court of Appeal of Dakar, who takes charge of the Department of Justice and Keeper of the Seals. Alongside these politically unaffiliated individuals appointed as ministers, we find Abdourahmane Sarr leading the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation. He is the brother of the former Minister of Economy under Macky Sall, Oulimatou Sarr. At the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security, the Diomaye-Sonko duo has also introduced a General – Jean Baptiste Tine, former High Commander of the National Gendarmerie and Director of Military Justice. It should be noted that all Generals who have led this department have left an indelible mark on their tenure, with few exceptions. What about the much-awaited Ministry of Energy, Petroleum, and Mines, due to the high expectations surrounding the future production of natural gas? It is the third key figure of Pastef, Birame Soulèye Diop, who heads this strategic department. In the distribution of roles, Pastef did not only draw from its own ranks. They also recruited human resources from their allies. For instance, Dr. El Hadj Abdourahmane Diouf was appointed as Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation. The Ministry of Finance is entrusted to the Tax and Customs Inspector Cheikh Diba, who until recently, was the Director of Budget Programming at the General Directorate of Budget.
Khady Diène Gaye, a first in the Department of Sports
The Department of Sports is now led by a woman, Khady Diène Gaye, a first since 1960. However, there is a noticeable imbalance between men and women in this government. On this issue, Pastef falls far short of respecting parity. Out of the 25 ministers, only four are women. Besides Khady Diène Gaye and Yacine Fall, there are Maïmouna Dièye, Minister of Family and Solidarity, and Fatou Diouf, Minister of Fisheries, Maritime Infrastructure, and Ports. The rupture advocated by the new authorities also involves consolidating ministries. This time, Sports, Culture, and Youth are merged into a single department. To slightly alleviate certain powerful departments like Foreign Affairs, a Secretary of State for Senegalese Expatriates, Amadou Chérif Diouf, and a Secretary of State for Urbanism and Housing, Momath Talla Ndao, have been appointed.
Crackdown on Cumulative Functions
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko reiterated the principle they had advocated for – the prohibition of holding multiple positions. On the President’s directive, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, all ministers appointed with other functions are given a one-month deadline to resign. This includes MPs Alioune Sall and Birame Soulèye Diop. The latter was the first member of the Pastef party to not comply with this rule when he was elected Mayor of Thiès Nord. After facing backlash, he decided to prioritize his roles as a parliamentary Deputy and Chair of the Yewwi Askan Wi parliamentary group over his mayoral post. This time, it will be done. Now, it’s time to get to work!
MARIAME DJIGO
Read the original article(French) on Dakar Matin
