Senegal's Sonko re-elected to lead Pastef amid rift with President Faye

Ousmane Sonko has been re-elected as head of Senegal's Pastef party at a congress in Diamniadio, outside the capital Dakar. The vote comes after his dismissal as prime minister on 22 May and adds to a widening split with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The development deepens uncertainty inside the ruling party and comes at a time of political strain in the West African country.

Sponsored

According to the information provided at the congress, Sonko won the leadership vote easily. He is described as a powerful mentor-turned-rival to Faye, who won the presidency after Sonko was barred from standing in Senegal's 2024 election. Sonko later backed Faye as his replacement candidate and then served as his prime minister before the relationship broke down.

The row has now moved from government to party structures, with Sonko retaining a central role in both. The split has already had institutional consequences. Sonko was elected speaker of the National Assembly shortly after being removed as prime minister, giving him another prominent position in Senegal's political system.

The party he leads is described as the biggest in parliament, which means the dispute has implications beyond personal rivalry. Faye has publicly urged against further division, saying in a speech on Thursday that no quarrel, however bitter, is worth tearing apart the country. The latest vote matters because it shows that the contest between Sonko and Faye is not confined to the executive branch.

Sponsored

It also affects the balance inside Pastef, which has become the main vehicle for their political project. In a heavily indebted country, uncertainty at the top of the ruling camp can complicate decision-making and weaken the government's ability to present a united front. The leadership contest therefore has significance for both domestic stability and the party's parliamentary strength.

The background to the dispute is tied to the unusual path that brought both men to power. Sonko was prevented from running in the 2024 presidential election, after which he endorsed Faye, who went on to win the presidency. Sonko then became prime minister, but months of mounting tension followed before Faye dismissed him on 22 May.

The sequence has turned former allies into rivals and created a political crisis around the leadership of the governing movement. What remains unclear is whether the party vote will help stabilise Pastef or further entrench the split between the two men. It is also not clear how the dispute will affect relations between the presidency, the government and the National Assembly in the coming weeks.

#Senegal #OusmaneSonko #BassirouDiomayeFaye #Pastef #NationalAssembly

Sponsored