On Monday, Senegal’s new Prime Minister unveiled the government’s lineup. Hours earlier, Ousmane Sonko, leader of the ruling Pastef-Les Patriotes party, announced that no members of his party would be included.

This official split cements the political rift between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his former ally, Sonko, marking the end of a once-united front that had inspired hope for change.

The rupture has left many Senegalese students bewildered. At Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, several still struggle to accept the collapse of the duo they had admired as symbols of transformative leadership.

Youth express deep disillusionment over broken alliance

Beneath the shade of trees at the Faculty of Arts, Amath Segnane reviews his notes. Like many young voters, he had placed unwavering faith in the Diomaye-Sonko partnership.

The student does not hide his disappointment. “They sold us the idea that Diomaye and Sonko were inseparable. They made us believe they trusted each other completely and would work side by side to rebuild this nation. Now that they’ve split, it’s a crushing letdown,” he admits.

For him, the fracture challenges the unity that once defined their political rise.

Others argue the split was inevitable

Moments before his lecture begins, Mamadou Bah, a student at the Faculty of Economics and Management, believes the rupture was long overdue.

For him, tensions between the two leaders had festered for months. “We saw for a while that the former Prime Minister no longer respected the President’s authority. He acted as if he were above the head of state. His dismissal—and the subsequent split—weren’t surprising. I fully support President Diomaye Faye’s decision,” he states.

While disappointed, he acknowledges the President’s right to reclaim control of the executive branch.

Skepticism and uncertainty loom over future

Not everyone accepts the finality of the breakup. Omar Sarr, an Arabic studies student, clings to hope for reconciliation between the two former allies.

He argues that their shared journey makes a permanent split hard to imagine. “Without Sonko, Diomaye would never have risen to power. They worked together for years to win the presidency. Now, people are divided: some side with Diomaye, others with Sonko. I refuse to believe this is the end. I simply can’t accept it,” he shares.

Today, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye governs without the backing of the majority party, Pastef-Les Patriotes, while Ousmane Sonko, now Speaker of the National Assembly, leads the opposition. This new political landscape continues to fuel debates and uncertainty across Senegalese society.