Escalating tensions within Senegal’s pastef party amid leadership rifts

The unexpected wave of resignations from key figures within Pastef—a party once united behind Ousmane Sonko—has sent shockwaves through Senegal’s political landscape. What began as isolated departures has rapidly escalated into a full-blown exodus of party loyalists, reshaping the future of the movement.

Once seen as a cohesive force behind Senegal’s political shift in March 2024, the alliance between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Ousmane Sonko now stands fractured. The divide became impossible to ignore following Sonko’s removal from the Prime Minister’s office in May 2026—a move that marked the culmination of months of simmering tensions between the Presidency and the Prime Minister’s team. Though Sonko assumed the role of National Assembly President, he retained control of the party, while Faye took steps to consolidate power within the state apparatus.

One of the most glaring signals of this schism emerged in early June when Minister Moussa Bala Fofana, a long-standing member of the government, resigned from his post just days after Sonko publicly criticized ministers for failing to align with the party’s directives. Fofana denied acting on presidential instructions, instead expressing unwavering respect for his former mentor.

Constitutional overhaul sparks further division

On July 3, President Faye took a decisive step by announcing the formation of a new presidential party aimed at consolidation. This move effectively underscored the irreparable rift between the Presidency and the party that once spearheaded the political transformation. In parallel, the coalition ‘Diomaye Président’ has been mobilizing to absorb incoming defections, signaling a strategic realignment within Senegal’s political sphere.

The resignations—spanning veteran leaders, young activists, and public agency directors—highlight the depth of the internal turmoil gripping Pastef. These departures are not merely administrative changes but a reflection of deeper ideological and strategic disagreements that have eroded the party’s unity.