Dakar. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has officially launched a new political party, formalising his split with former ally Ousmane Sonko and setting the stage for a fresh political contest within the country's ruling camp.
The new party, Republican Patriots, was unveiled on Saturday after months of growing tensions between Faye and Sonko, leader of the ruling Pastef party. The two leaders swept to power together in the 2024 presidential election on a joint platform that promised to tackle corruption, create jobs and secure a greater share of Senegal's oil, gas and mineral wealth.
In recent weeks, several senior Pastef officials, regional leaders and members of the party's youth wing have defected to Faye's new movement. Some politicians from the opposition Alliance for the Republic have also joined the president's camp.
The alliance between Faye and Sonko began to unravel over disagreements on key government policies, particularly how Senegal should negotiate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the country grapples with a deepening debt crisis.
Earlier this year, Faye dismissed Sonko as prime minister, replacing him with Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo. Sonko, however, retained significant political influence after his party maintained its parliamentary majority and he was later elected president of the National Assembly. A new Cabinet formed in June excluded Pastef ministers after Sonko announced that his party would not participate in the government.
The rift has cast uncertainty over the reform agenda that brought the two men to power. Their administration has faced mounting economic pressure after officials discovered that the previous government had underreported billions of dollars in public borrowing, worsening Senegal's debt burden and complicating efforts to implement campaign promises.
Political analysts say the creation of Republican Patriots marks a new chapter in Senegal's politics and is likely to reshape the country's political landscape ahead of local elections in 2027 and the presidential race scheduled for 2029.
