Sonko’s explosive claim: the Cap Manuel protocol with Faye
In a dramatic revelation, Ousmane Sonko, Senegal’s former Prime Minister and leader of the Pastef movement, has sworn under oath that a binding political agreement was struck with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye before the 2024 presidential election—while Sonko was still behind bars.
The alleged protocol of Cap Manuel has sent shockwaves through Senegal’s political landscape, raising questions about the hidden dynamics that shaped the country’s historic 2024 transition.
An agreement forged in detention
During an impromptu press conference, Sonko recounted how he received Bassirou Diomaye Faye in his prison cell at Cap Manuel. The meeting, he claimed, was held in a tense atmosphere where rumors of a potential delay in the presidential election swirled.
« There really was a protocol of Cap Manuel, » Sonko declared with conviction. According to his account, he firmly opposed any postponement of the vote and insisted that Faye should lead their movement’s campaign. « I told him: I’ve chosen you. If we’re released, we’ll campaign, win, and govern. In 2029, we’ll return to the normal order, » he stated.
To underscore his credibility, Sonko took a solemn oath, swearing on the Quran that his statements reflected the truth: « I swear before God and the Quran. »
A pact of reforms and succession
Sonko further revealed that Faye had agreed to a political framework where the current mandate would serve as a period of structural reforms. « He told me: this term will be about difficult reforms. I’ll take them upon myself, and then you’ll have a clear path ahead, » Sonko recalled.
The former Prime Minister also claimed that he had proposed involving witnesses to document the agreement, but Faye declined, citing their mutual trust. Sonko quoted Faye as saying that he would consider his namesake son if he ever betrayed their political pact.
2029: the next chapter
The conversation, Sonko asserted, also addressed the 2029 presidential election. He claimed to have told Faye that their continued alliance would depend on the fulfillment of their commitments. « I told him that if he stayed true to this path, I would back his candidacy in 2029. Otherwise, I would run myself, » Sonko explained.
According to Sonko, Faye’s response was unequivocal: « He told me he would be my campaign manager, » he revealed.
These explosive claims come at a time of escalating tensions between the two once-united allies, reigniting debates about the pre-election deals that underpinned Senegal’s political shift in 2024.
