DAKAR, Senegal — Senegal’s president took a major political step Saturday, officially establishing his own party and making permanent his break from former close ally Ousmane Sonko, the leader of the ruling Pastef party. The move sets up a fierce struggle for power at a time when the country is facing a significant financial crisis.
The new organization, called the Republican Patriots party, was founded by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and confirms what had been an increasingly obvious divide between the two men. Both rose to prominence together in 2024 running under the Pastef banner — short for Patriotes Africains du Sénégal pour le Travail, l’Éthique et la Fraternité in French.
In the period before the party’s formal creation, a steady stream of Pastef officials — including regional leaders and members of the party’s youth wing — stepped down to align themselves with Faye. Additionally, several members of the opposition group Alliance for The Republic have also thrown their support behind Faye’s movement.
The partnership between Faye and Sonko, which had been built in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, began to fall apart over disagreements on critical policy matters. Chief among those disputes was how to handle negotiations with the International Monetary Fund regarding a loan program as Senegal faced mounting debt.
Earlier this year, Faye removed Sonko from his role as prime minister. However, Sonko’s Pastef party held onto its commanding majority in parliament, and Sonko was subsequently chosen to serve as president of the National Assembly.
A new prime minister, Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, was named in May, and a new Cabinet was put together the following month. Notably, no Pastef members were included after Sonko declared his party would not participate in the government.
When they campaigned together in 2024, Faye and Sonko had promised voters they would generate employment for young Senegalese, combat corruption, and secure a greater portion of profits from the nation’s oil, gas, and mineral resources.
Delivering on those pledges has proven difficult, however. Senegal’s debt situation has worsened since the two took office, after it came to light that the previous administration had concealed billions of dollars in borrowing.
With Faye’s new party now in place, a political confrontation between the former allies appears inevitable. That battle is expected to play out during local elections in 2027 and could have significant implications for the 2029 presidential race.
