On 1 October 2002, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Youba Sambou was dismissed, following the sinking of the MV Le Joola on 26 September 2002.
He retained this role in several successive cabinets (those of Idrissa Seck, Habib Thiam and Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré).
In October 2009, Abdoulaye Baldé succeeded him as head of the ministry and he was named Minister of the Interior, replacing Cheikh Tidiane Sy.
[3] He lost this position in April 2012, as a result of the victory of Macky Sall in the Presidential elections.
In 2014, as part of the Benno Bokk Yaakaar coalition, he became mayor of the small town of Ross Béthio.