The recent appointments of magistrates to the Constitutional Council and the Saint-Louis Court of Appeal signify a notable shift within the highest echelons of state power. For political expert Mamadou Wane, known as “Mao,” President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has embarked on a revisionist path, seemingly intent on resurrecting an old neocolonial order and politically marginalizing Ousmane Sonko ahead of 2029. This subtle yet forceful maneuver, Wane believes, will inevitably encounter robust popular resistance, fueled by a Senegalese people hardened by years of struggle and a dominant political party whose current momentum remains unparalleled.

The political analyst suggests that Faye might be attempting to sideline Ousmane Sonko from the 2029 presidential race by leveraging state institutions, particularly the judiciary, through the placement of officials from the previous administration into crucial roles. However, Wane contends that such an endeavor is destined for failure, as it overlooks the Senegalese people’s proven historical capacity for resistance. He underscores that the current leader of PASTEF has consistently enjoyed powerful popular support, which has thwarted previous attempts at his definitive exclusion during past electoral cycles.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, via a decree dated July 13, 2023, appointed magistrate Ousmane Diagne as president of the Constitutional Council, succeeding the late Mamadou Badio Camara. Days prior, to widespread surprise, the Head of State selected Serigne Bassirou Guèye, a former public prosecutor, to serve as advocate general at the Saint-Louis Court of Appeal.

Both magistrates have previously been in open conflict with PASTEF leader Ousmane Sonko. While disagreements with former Justice Minister Ousmane Diagne stemmed from concerns over delays in accountability proceedings and a perceived lack of will to prosecute those responsible for crimes committed between March 2012 and February 2024, the relationship with Serigne Bassirou Guèye was overtly contentious. Ousmane Sonko has repeatedly accused magistrate Guèye of having falsified a gendarmerie investigation report, during his tenure as public prosecutor, to orchestrate a political conspiracy designed to harm him.

Mao Wane, however, expressed reservations about prematurely judging the new president of the Constitutional Council, stating his intention to await Diagne’s actions: “I do not hold the same judgment for Ousmane Diagne; we should not prejudge his intentions. Conversely, Serigne Bassirou Guèye went as far as falsifying Sonko’s trial in the conspiracy and rape case. From the moment a magistrate resorts to such practices, he should no longer hold judicial functions.”

A perceived attempt to reinstate a neocolonial framework

According to the politologist, the current situation is rooted in a revisionist agenda, which he defines as an effort to reinstate the former order. These recent appointments, he argues, signal the resurgence of officials from the previous regime and form part of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s broader strategy to forge a new centrist political force, built upon figures from the former ruling coalition.

“By revisionism, I mean a desire to revert to the old order. In my view, the rupture is now complete between, on one side, the camp seeking to restore the neocolonial system and, on the other, that of sovereignty, patriotism, and democratic revolution,” explained the seasoned political observer of 40 years.

Nevertheless, the sociologist cautioned the Head of State and his supporters against any endeavor to exclude Ousmane Sonko: “Those who wish to act in this manner suffer from political short-sightedness and overlook the fact that the Senegalese people possess a long history of resistance. If Diomaye and his team are in power today, it is solely because the people mobilized. To attempt to politically liquidate Sonko, believing that merely dissolving the Assembly suffices to condemn a deputy under any pretext, is a maneuver that will not succeed.”

PASTEF’s strength and the perpetual awakening of youth

For Mao Wane, the extraordinary enthusiasm surrounding PASTEF’s membership card sales stands as an undeniable indicator of the true balance of power on the ground. “Today, PASTEF emerges as the most organized, dynamic, and strongly led party, rallying around Ousmane Sonko. This organizational structure and its militant network make all the difference,” he analyzed.

He believes the Senegalese people have achieved an irreversible democratic maturity since the political transitions of 2000 and 2012, further solidified by three years of intense struggle between 2021 and 2024: “In March 2021, the people did not resist for just a few days. They persevered for nearly three years. They have gained genuine experience in political resistance and learned how to push back against a regime, regardless of its control mechanisms,” the political analyst emphasized. This collective memory, in his view, renders any attempt to politically eliminate the PASTEF leader already doomed to fail.