A deep political fracture appears to be emerging at the heart of the Senegalese state. The Faye–Sonko duo, once hailed as the populist and nationalist force behind the March 2024 political shift, is now showing signs of internal implosion. At stake: control over political machinery, networks of influence, and the ideological direction of power.
The rupture played out behind closed doors, but its political aftershocks are now reverberating in public. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye unilaterally dismissed the coordinator of the coalition that propelled him to the presidency. In a sharp rebuke, the party of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko rejected the move outright, calling it “unacceptable.” What may appear as an administrative disagreement is, in reality, the symptom of a much deeper divide.
Power Coalition on the Verge of Collapse
What some analysts once presented as a strategic tandem, united in opposition to the regime of Macky Sall, now seems riddled with ego clashes and strategic divergence. The Faye Sonko rift is no longer hypothetical; it reflects a growing power struggle in which each man seeks to assert his own authority and inner circle.
Though President Faye claims to act in the name of national interest, critics see a calculated attempt to sideline Ousmane Sonko, who remains immensely popular among the grassroots and is eager to control the political agenda. Beyond the controversy over the coalition coordinator lies a more existential question: will the regime embrace a radical brand of sovereignty, or pivot toward a more conciliatory stance with Western powers?
Cracks in the System: Subtle but Telling Signs
The warning signs were there. In recent weeks, discrepancies in official communications, disputed appointments, and even conspicuous absences at key strategy meetings signaled growing internal tensions. In a political culture where power struggles are rarely made explicit, silence often speaks volumes.
Now, the local press, though often wary of confronting the executive, is picking up on the story. The power struggle between Faye and Sonko could ultimately reshape the Senegalese political landscape, where alliances are as fluid as the diplomatic pressures exerted by Paris and Washington. It’s no coincidence that this crisis emerges just as Senegal is renegotiating its oil and gas contracts, an arena where foreign appetites brook no ambiguity.
Is the New Regime Already in Crisis?
What some describe as a mere growing pain for a new administration may, in fact, herald a bitter disillusionment for those who rallied behind the promise of change. The Faye Sonko rift underscores a political reality: the ideal of political cohabitation is a fragile myth within hyper-presidential systems.
Sonko, a charismatic leader and fiery orator, has never hidden his ambition. Faye, quieter in public but firmly embedded in the state apparatus, seems determined to govern without oversight. Behind this current clash lies the larger question of Senegal’s executive power structure, and whether it can withstand internal rivalry.
