Diomaye–Sonko
From political companionship to institutional separation: twelve years from Pastef to two distinct camps.
From ‘Diomaye mooy Sonko’ to two political camps
| 2014 | Ousmane Sonko takes part in founding Pastef. Bassirou Diomaye Faye joins the movement. |
| 2019 | Sonko stands in the presidential election and finishes third. |
| 2021–2023 | His legal troubles and the demonstrations plunge Senegal into a long period of political tension. |
| 2023 | Sonko’s candidacy in the 2024 presidential election becomes impossible. Bassirou Diomaye Faye is chosen to carry the political project. |
| March 2024 | The two men leave prison a few days before the poll. The campaign popularises the slogan ‘Diomaye mooy Sonko’. |
| 24 March 2024 | Bassirou Diomaye Faye wins the presidential election in the first round. |
| 2 April 2024 | He is sworn in and appoints Ousmane Sonko Prime Minister. |
| 22 May 2026 | Bassirou Diomaye Faye ends Ousmane Sonko’s tenure as Prime Minister. |
| July 2026 | The President launches his own political formation. |
| September 2026 | Several officials presented as close to Sonko lose public positions. |
| 24 September 2026 | From New York, Bassirou Diomaye Faye publicly returns to his relationship with Ousmane Sonko. |
Who owed what to whom?
Ousmane Sonko was the political figure around whom Pastef had been built. His ineligibility led the movement to put forward Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Once the election was over, another legitimacy emerged: the voters had elected Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Why did the office of Prime Minister not settle the problem?
Sonko’s appointment as Prime Minister appeared to offer a natural solution. That balance could work only for as long as the two men agreed on the essentials.
After Sonko, presidential power becomes more clearly identified
Replacing the Prime Minister was not the only change. In July, Bassirou Diomaye Faye launched his own political formation.
Macky Sall: the former adversary supported by the state
On 24 September, Bassirou Diomaye Faye publicly supported Macky Sall’s prospects in the contest for the post of United Nations Secretary-General. It would be excessive to infer from this a broader political rapprochement.
Senghor and Mamadou Dia — when two heads can no longer govern together
At Senegal’s independence, Léopold Sédar Senghor was President of the Republic and Mamadou Dia President of the Council. Their institutional confrontation in 1962 ended with Dia’s arrest and conviction.
Chirac and Balladur — friendship until the election
Long close to one another, Jacques Chirac and Édouard Balladur became rivals in the 1995 French presidential election.
Sankara and Compaoré — a precedent distorted by comparison
Thomas Sankara and Blaise Compaoré had been revolutionary companions. In 1987, the coup in which Sankara was killed brought Compaoré to power. The context bears no comparison with present-day Senegal; a direct parallel would be misleading.