Senegal: Aminata Touré tasked with preparing the future party of Bassirou Diomaye Faye

The former Prime Minister would thus take the lead of a task force responsible for defining the identity, organization, and implantation of the new party. The goal is to equip the head of state with an autonomous political apparatus, capable of bringing together the forces of the presidential majority and preparing for the upcoming electoral deadlines.

This initiative comes in a context of deep restructuring of Senegalese power. Since the break between Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Ousmane Sonko, the president has been seeking to consolidate a political base of his own, distinct from Pastef, which is now controlled by his former Prime Minister.

Aminata Touré appears as a central piece of this strategy. Already involved in coordinating the Diomaye President Coalition, she is now called to take a new step: transforming a gathering of supporters into a true political machine.

The mission entrusted to the former head of government is expected to focus on several areas: drafting foundational texts, defining the political stance, structuring the instances, territorial implantation, and mobilizing local elected officials favorable to the president.

The timeline is tight. The presidential camp wants to move quickly to avoid remaining dependent on a fragile coalition, in a political landscape now dominated by the confrontation between two poles: the presidency of the Republic on one side, and Ousmane Sonko’s Pastef on the other.

For Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the creation of a party becomes a matter of political survival. Elected in 2024 with the decisive support of Sonko and Pastef, the head of state must now build his own party legitimacy. Without a structured apparatus, his maneuverability would remain limited in the face of a National Assembly largely aligned with Sonko’s camp.

The choice of Aminata Touré is not neutral. A former Prime Minister under Macky Sall, who later moved into opposition, she possesses institutional, electoral, and party experience. Her profile could allow President Faye to broaden his base beyond the initial core of his supporters.

But this mission also carries risks. The creation of a presidential party could definitively solidify the break with Pastef and heighten the polarization at the top of the state. It could also open a battle for influence in the territories, particularly among mayors, deputies, local leaders, and activists still torn between loyalty to Diomaye Faye and fidelity to Ousmane Sonko.

Through this operation, Bassirou Diomaye Faye wants to regain the initiative. After losing control of the party that brought him to power, he is now looking to build his own political instrument. Therefore, the mission entrusted to Aminata Touré marks a turning point: the presidential camp no longer wants to merely exist around a coalition, but to establish itself as a fully-fledged party.

The political battle in Senegal thus enters a new phase. It is no longer played only at the government or National Assembly level, but also in the building of the apparatuses that will prepare for the upcoming elections.