Sonko accuses Faye of having broken “the pact of good governance for which people lost their lives.”

The president of Pastef and the National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko, declared on Saturday, June 6, during a ceremony of party memberships and mergers in Dakar that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had “broken the good governance pact for which people lost their lives.” In the same breath, he announced his intention to bring Pastef to one million members ahead of the presidential election in 2029.

The statement comes two weeks after Sonko was dismissed from the Prime Minister’s office on May 22, 2026, the day after Pastef’s first ordinary congress held in Diamniadio, about thirty kilometers from Dakar. It marks Sonko’s second public statement since his appointment as president of the National Assembly on May 26, following his press conference on June 2 where he outlined his version of the dismissal and confirmed the existence of a “Manuel Cape Protocol” – a pact made in detention stipulating that Faye would be the candidate for the 2024 presidential election, while Sonko reserved the date for 2029.

According to Senenews, Sonko spoke before his supporters during a political merger ceremony that brought together, according to party officials, more than sixty organizations that joined the ranks of Pastef. Some parties opted for a complete merger, while others chose to collaborate within the coalition while maintaining their autonomy.

The head of state, for his part, denied the existence of any formal pact. “There was no pact with Ousmane Sonko. It would be a lack of consideration to have a pact,” he stated on May 2, 2026. His advisor Aldiouma Sow reaffirmed this position after the conference on June 2.

Founding Congress in Diamniadio

The first ordinary congress of Pastef was held the day before, on Friday, June 6, in Diamniadio. Sonko was the only candidate validated for the presidency of the party by the High Authority for the Regulation of Parties. Delegates from national sections and the diaspora adopted an ideological charter, a strategic orientation document, and a general resolution.

In an article published before the congress, Sonko set the goal of “marking the transition from a movement of rupture to a fully organized party.” According to Jeune Afrique, cited by SenePlus, a party framework described the event as a “display of strength” worthy of “investiture for Ousmane Sonko for 2029.”

Sonko was elected president of the National Assembly on May 26 with 132 votes out of 165, a vote boycotted by the opposition which denounced a “constitutional coup.” He thus holds the second highest position in the Senegalese protocol order.

Recomposing the Political Landscape

The new government formed on June 1 by Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lô consists of thirty ministers. Pastef had announced its boycott due to “points of disagreement” regarding the composition of the list. However, several party officials joined the executive despite the official directive and are subject to disciplinary procedures that could lead to expulsion.

The disagreements between the two men centered notably on the management of public debt and the International Monetary Fund’s program. After the revelation in 2024 of a stock of undeclared debts estimated at over eleven billion dollars left by the previous administration, the IMF suspended a funding program of 1.8 billion dollars. Sonko reportedly defended a firm line against the fund’s conditions, while Faye favored a conciliatory approach with international markets.

The next presidential election is set for 2029.