DAKAR — Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has officially established a new political party, making permanent his break from former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and the Pastef party that carried Faye into office in 2024.
At a gathering held Saturday in the capital city of Dakar, Faye introduced his new party, called Kiiraay — Republican Patriots. He declared it “the majority party in this country.” The word Kiiraay comes from the local Wolof language and translates to “shield.”
Faye and Sonko were once the paired faces of Senegal’s movement against the political establishment, but the two men have been locked in a struggle for power that has stretched on for months.
In May, Faye removed Sonko from his position as prime minister. However, Sonko subsequently rose to become speaker of the National Assembly and continues to lead Pastef, a party that still holds a commanding majority in parliament.
The political turmoil is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader national crisis. Senegal has been dealing with the fallout from revelations that debt figures were misreported during the previous government’s tenure.
