The Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, chaired the weekly Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at the Palace of the Republic.
At the start of his address, the President of the Republic extended his deepest condolences, and those of the Council members, to Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO following the passing of his Aide-de-Camp, Commander Pape Mignane NDONG. He then offered his warm congratulations and welcomed Mr. Boubacar CAMARA, appointed as Minister, Secretary General of the Government, and new Secretary of the Council of Ministers, replacing Mr. Ahmadou Alhaminou Mohamed LO, who was promoted to Minister to the President of the Republic, tasked with monitoring and evaluating the national transformation agenda “Senegal 2050” with the rank of Minister of State.
The Head of State reviewed the annual Daaka of Médina Gounass, extending warm congratulations to Khalife Thierno Amadou Tidiane BA and all the faithful, as well as to the Government, under the Prime Minister’s leadership, for the measures taken to ensure the excellent organization of this internationally significant religious event. He also commended the organization in Dakar of the 5th General Assembly of West African Bishops, which he inaugurated, reiterating his congratulations and the State’s support for Monsignor André GUEYE, the new Archbishop of Dakar, installed on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
The international community celebrated Labor Day on May 1, 2025. In addition to the traditional ceremony of presenting grievance notebooks to the Head of State, this event in Senegal was marked by a renewal and strengthening of tripartite social dialogue, culminating in the signing of the Social Stability Pact for inclusive and sustainable growth, following the 4th Social Conference held on April 24 and 25, 2025.
The President of the Republic praised this remarkable social consensus, grounded in truth, transparency, and the sense of responsibility of stakeholders (Government, Employers, Unions). The contributions and efforts made over recent months have fostered mutual trust, leading to this strategic collective agreement essential for ensuring social stability, economic recovery, momentum, and acceleration of the country’s economic relaunch.
He reminded stakeholders of the need to respect and enforce the commitments made, finalize related action plans, and conduct periodic joint evaluations of their overall and sectoral implementation. He also emphasized the importance of revitalizing social dialogue committees and monitoring sectoral negotiations with professional organizations.
Additionally, he called on the Government to review national collective agreements and ensure the protection of trade union freedom in all companies in accordance with laws and regulations. He instructed the Prime Minister to pay particular attention to struggling public and private enterprises, ensuring job preservation and business continuity through tailored restructuring measures.
The Head of State also urged the Prime Minister to work with all Ministers to manage, through regular dialogue and consultation with stakeholders, the grievances of workers’ unions under the State and its agencies to ensure the continuity and quality of public services.
He stressed the importance of enhancing the intervention capabilities and involvement of the High Council for Social Dialogue in preventing and managing labor disputes. Given the challenges and stakes of implementing the national transformation agenda, he directed the Minister of Labor and Employment to theme the next Social Conference around “Workplace Productivity.” The press sector holds a central place in the nation’s life.
Thus, the President called on the Government to intensify consultations with sector stakeholders to better support and further professionalize and transform the sector to match Senegal’s democratic stature, while respecting the regulated freedom framework under current laws. To this end, he highlighted the need to continue supporting the restructuring and financing of media enterprises, particularly in the context of rapid digital and artificial intelligence advancements, alongside necessary social media regulation. In a collaborative effort to build a viable economic model for a free, professional, and responsible press, he tasked the Minister of Communication, Telecommunications, and Digital Affairs, in coordination with regulatory authorities (CNRA and ARTP), to explore ways to implement, per a consensual timeline, the recommendations and proposals from media organizations regarding the Press Code and the systemic, sustainable transformation of the sector. Finally, he instructed the Prime Minister, the Minister of Communication, and the Minister of Finance and Budget to establish a renewed framework for financing and monitoring the implementation of development plans for public media enterprises (RTS, SSPP “Le SOLEIL,” SN APS, and TDS SA).
The continuity of public drinking water services in rural areas remains a major concern for populations. On this issue, the Head of State urged the Government to take urgent measures, in collaboration with the Office of Rural Boreholes (OFOR) and designated public service concessionaires, to improve the rural drinking water distribution system. He directed the Minister of Hydraulics to regularly report to the Council of Ministers on the status and operation of hydraulic infrastructure (boreholes, water towers, and networks), pricing, and affected populations in each public water service concession across the country. He also called for accelerating the implementation of recommendations from the National Water and Sanitation Consultations held in November 2024 in Kaolack.
Regarding his diplomatic agenda, the President reiterated his congratulations to his brother, His Excellency Brice Clotaire Oligui NGUEMA, President of Gabon, following his inauguration on May 3, 2025, in Libreville. He expressed gratitude to the Gabonese people for the warm welcome, reflecting the excellent friendship and cooperation between Senegal and Gabon. He also announced his participation in the 2025 Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan on May 12 and 13, 2025.
In his address, the Prime Minister highlighted, in line with the Head of State’s directives, the Government’s planned actions to effectively implement, within agreed timelines, the new National Social Stability Pact for inclusive and sustainable growth, signed on May 1, 2025, with social partners. He tasked the Minister of Labor, in coordination with the Minister, Secretary General of the Government, to ensure efficient management and monitoring of the Pact’s implementation.
The Minister of Vocational and Technical Training, Government Spokesperson, Amadou Moustapha Njekk SARRE