Key facts
- Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye launched a new political party named Republican Patriots (Kiiraay).
- The launch formalizes a split between Faye and former ally Ousmane Sonko, leader of the ruling Pastef party.
- Faye and Sonko, who came to power together in 2024, have been engaged in a power struggle.
- Sonko remains leader of Pastef and speaker of the National Assembly, which holds a parliamentary majority.
- Senegal is currently grappling with a severe debt crisis.
Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has officially launched his own political party, Republican Patriots, marking a formal split with his former ally and the head of the ruling Pastef party, Ousmane Sonko. The new party, named Kiiraay (meaning "shield" in Wolof), was unveiled in Dakar on Saturday.
Faye and Sonko, who rose to power together in 2024 under the Pastef banner, have been involved in a months-long power struggle. Faye dismissed Sonko as prime minister in May, but Sonko retained his leadership of Pastef and was subsequently elected speaker of the National Assembly. Pastef maintains a significant majority in parliament.
Following Sonko's announcement that his party would not participate in the government, a new prime minister, Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, was appointed in May, and a new cabinet was formed in June without Pastef ministers. A growing number of Pastef officials and some members of the opposition Alliance for The Republic party have resigned to join Faye's new movement.
The alliance between Faye and Sonko, forged before the 2024 presidential election, deteriorated over policy disagreements, particularly concerning negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a loan program amid a severe debt crisis. The country is grappling with revelations of misreported debt from the previous administration.
The formation of Faye's new party is expected to set the stage for future political contests, potentially including the 2029 presidential election.