Sonko’s sharp message to Diomaye: a power struggle in Senegal’s political arena

At a gathering in Sadio, Diourbel region, this past Sunday, Ousmane Sonko delivered what felt less like a rallying speech and more like a calculated reckoning with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Behind the veneer of a performance review, the Pastef leader meticulously recalibrated the balance of power within the state’s highest echelons.

The address, delivered in Sadio, took a pointed turn when Sonko revisited his pivotal role in propelling Bassirou Diomaye Faye to the presidency after his own candidacy was barred in 2024. By underscoring his influence in securing the historic March 2024 victory, Sonko staked his claim to the political legacy that brought the current administration to power—implying, subtly but unmistakably, that his contributions remain underappreciated.

The critique extended to governance. Sonko framed the moment as one where hope has dissipated, suggesting that even residents of Sadio sense the drift. He highlighted what he described as a growing divergence between the president’s actions and the original vision presented to Senegalese voters. This divergence, framed as a separation between the state’s trajectory and the party’s, marked one of the most direct public challenges Sonko has leveled against Faye since taking office.

Sonko went further, asserting that 80% of the political struggle had been realized under his leadership. He positioned the 2026 and 2029 milestones as critical phases to complete what he considers his own project—not merely supporting the administration, but safeguarding its founding principles. The message, aimed at both the party’s grassroots and the executive branch, reasserted Sonko’s claim to ideological primacy, even as he acknowledged, through veiled language, a growing rift with the leadership he once helped elevate.