Senegal’s political landscape shifts: faye and sonko’s journey from alliance to rivalry

Senegal is currently navigating a period of intense political transformation. On Friday, July 3rd, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially declared his intention to establish his own political party. This pivotal decision significantly escalates the existing tensions with his former mentor and current President of the National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko. What was once a powerful political alliance between Faye and Sonko now appears to be evolving into a direct confrontation, with both figures seemingly preparing for a head-to-head contest in the upcoming 2029 presidential elections. Providing expert analysis on this unfolding dynamic in West Africa’s political Sahel, Maurice Soudieck Dione, a distinguished professor of political science at Université Gaston-Bergé de Saint-Louis, offers his insights into the implications of this dramatic shift.