Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has criticised US President Donald Trump, calling him a destabilising force in global affairs. Speaking at the Museum of Black Civilisations in Dakar during an international conference on sovereignty on April 10, 2025, Sonko stated, "Mr Trump is not a man of peace. He is a man who destabilises the world." His remarks followed a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran announced on April 8, which ended over six weeks of conflict triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Sonko questioned the outcomes of the military campaign, noting that Washington had failed to achieve its stated goals of curbing Iran's ballistic capabilities or halting its nuclear programme. Despite large-scale military deployment, he observed, the US ultimately returned to negotiations.
Sonko referenced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under the two-week suspension of hostilities, warning of broader economic fallout from the conflict. He highlighted risks to global oil supplies, trade routes, and food supply chains, particularly for African nations vulnerable to external shocks. He also condemned Western nations for allowing their military bases to be used in operations against Iran while publicly criticising violations of international law. "Deploring the violation of international law and on the other side making available your military bases is not political coherence," he said. Sonko urged African countries to unite and leverage their youthful populations to assert continental sovereignty.
Ousmane Sonko's sharp rebuke of Donald Trump is less about American foreign policy than it is a calculated assertion of African political voice on a global stage. By framing Trump as a symbol of unchecked Western intervention, Sonko positions himself not only as a critic of US actions but as a continental figure willing to challenge the status quo. His choice of venue—the Museum of Black Civilisations—was deliberate, anchoring his message in historical resistance and African agency.
The context of Sonko's speech matters. With the Iran conflict ending in a negotiated ceasefire after failed military objectives, he seizes the moment to expose the limits of Western power projection. His reference to disrupted oil flows and food supply chains is not abstract; it speaks directly to African economies that rely on stable global trade and are routinely destabilised by distant conflicts. By highlighting Western hypocrisy—condemning international law violations while enabling them logistically—he appeals to long-standing African frustrations over double standards in global diplomacy.
For ordinary Nigerians and other Africans, Sonko's message underscores a reality often ignored: decisions made in Washington or Paris can trigger inflation, fuel shortages, and food insecurity thousands of miles away. When trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz are threatened, Nigerian importers pay more, and market prices rise. This is not theoretical—it hits household budgets.
Sonko's call for African unity reflects a growing sentiment that the continent must reduce dependency on Western-led security and economic frameworks. His emphasis on youth mobilisation suggests a vision of sovereignty built from within, not granted from outside. This is not new rhetoric, but in a time of global realignment, it gains sharper relevance.
