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Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has announced the creation of his own political party, marking a new phase in his political career and formalising a rift with his former ally, Ousmane Sonko, leader of the PASTEF party, according to local media reports.
The announcement was made during a meeting with the hundred mayors of the “Diomaye Président” coalition at the Presidential Palace.
“It is time for us to move towards organic unity. That is to say, to move towards the creation of a political party. Each of you must be a founding member, with political and historical legitimacy,” President Faye was quoted as saying.
He claims that because local executives have already committed to his coalition, this future formation will have a sizeable territorial base from the outset.
“This will be the first time a party has started with so many territorial executives. And many more will come to join us,” he said.
The move comes after months of tension between Faye and Sonko, his former mentor and prime minister. Faye dismissed Sonko as prime minister on May 22.
Sonko was subsequently elected president of the National Assembly on May 24.
Sonko remains the leader of PASTEF, the party he founded in 2014, which holds 130 of the 165 seats in parliament. Faye had served as PASTEF’s secretary-general before his election.
The first PASTEF congress on June 6, 2026, which nominated Sonko as its candidate for the 2029 presidential election, is believed to have accelerated the president’s decision to establish an autonomous structure.
Faye’s announcement also follows a constitutional revision adopted by the National Assembly on June 29, which includes provisions that would prevent a sitting president from effectively leading a political party.
Faye, 46, became president on 2 April 2024 after winning the first round of the presidential election, following Sonko’s disqualification from the race.
The exact name and launch date of the new party remain unknown as at the time of filing this report.
