Faye moves to launch new party as split with Sonko deepens

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Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is preparing to launch his own political party, a move that signals a decisive break with former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko as the country's leadership rift widens ahead of key local elections and constitutional reforms.

A coalition supporting the president said in a statement issued late on Friday that Faye had instructed senior adviser Aminata Touré to lead a task force responsible for creating the new political movement, as reported by Africa News.

Coverage comparison

Reporting on the split has focused on two distinct angles. Africa News framed the story primarily as a political rift, emphasising Faye's decision to form his own party and the deterioration of his relationship with Sonko. Al Jazeera, meanwhile, presented the story from Sonko's personal perspective, with the Speaker of the National Assembly reflecting on what ended his political partnership with the president and the constitutional standoff dividing the country's leadership.

Both outlets agree on the core facts: Faye and Sonko, once allies, are now political rivals, and their dispute is reshaping Senegal's political landscape.

Key claims

Faye has remained a member of the ruling Pastef party since taking office, but relations with Sonko deteriorated over several months before the president dismissed him as prime minister in May, according to Africa News.

Sonko has since become Speaker of the National Assembly, where he is championing constitutional reforms aimed at reshaping Senegal's political landscape. Among the proposed changes is a provision preventing a sitting president from serving simultaneously as leader of a political party, the outlet reported.

Lawmakers approved the constitutional amendments last week, but President Faye has opted to submit them to a national referendum instead of signing them into law. Authorities have not yet announced a date for the vote. The referendum is expected to become a key test of political support for both Faye and Sonko as their rivalry intensifies, according to Africa News.

The growing political divide comes as Senegal grapples with an economic crisis triggered by revelations that the previous administration misreported public debt levels. The dispute also unfolds ahead of 2027 local elections, which are expected to provide the first major indication of the electoral strength of both camps, the outlet added.

In a separate interview with Al Jazeera, Sonko condemned xenophobic violence in South Africa as "painful" and "unworthy of Africa," and said Africa is owed economic reparations for slavery.