Senegal – Feud between Faye and Sonko: already a succession war within PASTEF?
In Senegal, political tensions at the top of the state between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko are taking an increasingly marked turn, foreshadowing a political succession battle well before the 2029 presidential deadline.
In Senegal, political tensions at the top of the state between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko are taking an increasingly marked turn, foreshadowing a political succession battle well before the 2029 presidential deadline.
The climate has cooled markedly between the two leaders, though they come from the same political formation, Pastef (African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity), with an explicit threat of breaking the coalition.
In a televised appearance on March 1, 2026, Ousmane Sonko warned that his party could leave the government and return to the opposition if President Faye strays from the political vision that initially sealed their alliance.
According to him, as long as the president stays aligned with Pastef’s principles, “the debate is a non-issue”, but a marked divergence on these orientations could lead to a political dissolution of the union within the executive.
This fracture did not arise recently. In November 2025, President Faye had surprised the leadership by replacing Aïssatou Mbodj, a close ally of Sonko, at the head of the presidential coalition “Diomaye Président”, with Aminata Touré, his campaign coordinator.
This change, unilateral and not consulted, had been firmly rejected by Pastef in a statement, marking a first breach of trust between the two men.
Structural tensions are also fueled by strategic disagreements, notably over the political direction the country should take as the 2029 presidential election approaches. The president’s entourage says it is too early to engage in an open discussion on succession, while Sonko’s allies push to clarify the intentions and each person’s future role within the majority.
In this context, Sonko’s stance to reposition Pastef as an opposition force if divergences widen illustrates a deep internal crisis within the Senegalese power, where political unity wobbles in the face of leadership and strategic orientation issues.
This political dynamic will be closely watched in the coming months, as power games and preparations for after-2029 intensify.
