Since the Pastef party came to power in 2024, approximately 3,000 public sector employees have reportedly lost their jobs in less than a year. While Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has spoken of "streamlining public spending," many of those fired denounce a political witch hunt targeting those who do not support the ruling party. Here are their stories, collected by Le Monde, which resonate like a cry of alarm in Senegal.

Fatou Dièye: “In twenty-four hours, everything collapsed”

Fatou Dièye, former marketing manager of the Priority Investment Guarantee Fund (Fongip), makes no secret of her bitterness. This single mother, on a permanent contract until December 23, 2024, was fired for "gross misconduct," accused of "repeated absences." "I was ordered to empty my office that same day, without notice," she confides, her throat tight. From one day to the next, she found herself unable to provide for her family or repay her debts.

For her, the reason doesn't hold water. "They asked me to justify absences that included weekends, May 1st, or days when I represented Fongip at trade shows," she explains. Fatou sees it as political revenge: "I had called for a vote against Pastef on social media in March 2024. It's a purge of agents who aren't loyal to them." With around fifteen Fongip colleagues dismissed under similar conditions at the end of December, her testimony points to a troubling pattern.

Sheikh Sall: “A pretext to replace us with their militants”

Cheikh Sall, who worked in the legal department of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) for four years, shares this sense of injustice. Dismissed in February 2025, this supporter of the Alliance for the Republic, the former ruling party, doubts the sincerity of the "rationalization." "They say they're cutting expenses, but they hire Pastef activists or former political prisoners to replace us," he says. His case illustrates a wave of job cuts in the public sector—layoffs, contract non-renewals, or mutually agreed terminations—that has been intensifying since the summer of 2024.

Procedures flouted, anger rising

Beyond the reasons, the dismissed workers denounce irregularities. Fatou and her colleagues at Fongip have filed a complaint with the Dakar labor court for "unfair dismissal," supported by their lawyer, Mamadou Guèye. "Even if the reason was valid, there are rules, such as the notice period, that were not respected," confirms a Dakar labor inspector. In response, Ndèye Fatou Mbodj, administrator of Fongip and a leading figure in Pastef, defends these departures: "Some had 80 days of unjustified absences, others had neither the baccalaureate nor the license for their positions." This explanation is rejected by those concerned, who see it as a fabricated justification.

Towards a social crisis?

The malaise extends beyond these isolated cases. According to the Senegalese Workers' Rally (RTS), 3,000 public sector workers have been laid off since the summer of 2024, an unprecedented figure that is fueling anger. "We are witnessing a massive breach of contracts in the public sector," notes the labor inspector. Gathered within the RTS, the laid-off workers are threatening a general strike if nothing changes.