Senegal’s leaders face harsh reality check after promises of radical reform

Six months after coming to power, president and PM locked in stand-off with parliament

Within a week of being inaugurated in April as Senegal's youngest president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye named his political mentor, Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister and announced his 25 cabinet appointments.

Faye had swept to power on a leftist, anti-establishment and pan-African agenda promising radical reform, and said in his victory speech that his administration would focus on national reconciliation, easing the cost of living crisis and fighting corruption.