Senegal political shift as Diomaye Faye governs alone and Sonko leads Pastef

The political partnership that brought change to Sénégal has reached a breaking point. Less than two years after their joint ascent to power, the alliance between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Ousmane Sonko has effectively collapsed. Following months of internal friction, the Head of State made the official decision to dismiss his Prime Minister, marking a significant turning point in the nation’s governance.

Over the same weekend, Ousmane Sonko solidified his own political base. He was re-elected as the leader of Pastef during the party’s very first congress since its inception. This move signals a clear separation of paths between the presidency and the party leadership that originally propelled the duo to victory.

This institutional divorce prompts urgent questions regarding the political future of Sénégal. Analysts are now looking at who truly holds the influence over the electorate that voted for systemic change. Furthermore, the split introduces new risks to national stability and complicates the strategic outlook leading up to the 2029 elections.

The implications of this rift were discussed by Daouda Ngom, formerly the Minister of Higher Education, and Mehdi Ba, a veteran journalist based in Dakar.