Dakar court adjourns Sonko property dispute to july 2026

The high court of Dakar has postponed the legal battle between Mame Mbaye Niang and Ousmane Sonko until July 22, 2026. The delay was granted following a request from the former prime minister’s legal team, who need additional time to respond to the filings submitted by the plaintiff.

Mame Mbaye Niang initially took Ousmane Sonko to court over an alleged fraudulent transfer of real estate. He seeks to have the villa located in Cité Keur Gorgui re-registered under his name, allowing him to collect the 200 million CFA francs in damages and interest awarded by the judiciary.

Ousmane Sonko was previously sentenced to two months in prison and ordered to pay 200 million CFA francs in damages to Mame Mbaye Niang, a ruling that has become final. Armed with this judgment, Niang attempted to enforce the decision but encountered an obstacle: the leasehold rights to the villa—situated on a 264-square-metre plot at lot number R/17 in Cité Keur Gorgui—appear to have been transferred to the family of the Pastef leader.

Lawyers for Mame Mbaye Niang argue that this transfer is a deliberate manoeuvre designed to render Ousmane Sonko insolvent and shield the asset from seizure. They suspect the former minister intentionally moved the property to avoid paying the court-ordered compensation.

The case was initially heard before being adjourned to June 10. That earlier postponement allowed Niang’s legal team to prepare their response to the arguments submitted by Sonko’s defence.