The cabinet reshuffle carried out last Saturday confirms the eminently political nature of certain ministries. Although they are called "departments of sovereignty," in practice, they are more political. These include the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Departments of the Interior, the Armed Forces, Justice, and Foreign Affairs. The ousting of Ousmane Diagne from Justice and Jean-Baptiste Tine from the Interior is a clear example.

From Wade to Faye, each new regime established an initial government of so-called technocrats. Some of these ministries were entrusted to apolitical figures. But the President of the Republic quickly realized the political nature of these departments. This is what happened with the Diomaye-Sonko regime. The Pastef regime sought to provide guarantees of transparency by choosing neutral figures to the Ministries of the Interior and Justice. But Sonko realized that the pace he wanted was incompatible with the approach of Ousmane Diagne and Jean-Baptiste Tine. It was therefore necessary to remove them and replace them with politicians.

This scenario has only repeated itself, with different concerns. If Pastef has a justice problem, the Apr has a political problem. In 2012, in an effort to structurally transform Senegal's economy, Macky opted for a government led by a banker, Abdoul Mbaye in this case, with another banker, Amadou Kane, at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. But it took less than two years for Macky, assessing the political risks, to change course.

Now, we must look for a balance sheet in view of the next presidential election. Thus, Macky Sall got rid of the technocrat Prime Minister Abdoul Mbaye in favor of Mimi Touré, a political leader. Amadou Kane, the banker, will be replaced by Amadou Ba, another emerging actor. These changes between yesterday and today are perfect proof of the political character of the so-called sovereignty ministers.

In fact, the state's main levers are located in these departments. Control of these sectors determines the direction of political action. Thus, when Macky Sall wanted to have a repressive team between 2021 and 2024, he opted for the tandem of Antoine Diome and Ismaela Madior Fall, respectively at the Interior and Justice Departments.