Senegal: Ousmane Sonko warns political rivals after re-election

The head of Senegal’s National Assembly and former prime minister Ousmane Sonko secured a decisive re-election on Saturday as leader of his party, Pastef, a political triumph that quickly became a warning to his opponents amid the country’s ongoing political turmoil.

Delegates from domestic chapters and the diaspora convened in Diamniadio, on the outskirts of Dakar, for the party’s first congress.

Having led Pastef since its founding in 2014, Sonko has now been voted to remain at the helm for another six-year term.

“I fully appreciate the weight of this responsibility because Pastef is no ordinary party in Senegal’s political landscape,” he told the gathering after his election.

“Revolutions can be hijacked, absorbed, or emptied of their substance if they lack both a clear doctrine and an organisation capable of sustaining change over time. That is why this congress is historic, coming two years after we assumed the highest responsibilities,” he added.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye won the presidency in 2024 with Pastef’s backing, after Sonko was barred from the presidential race.

Following months of friction, Faye dismissed Sonko as prime minister on 22 May.

Sonko was subsequently elected president of the National Assembly a few days later.

Addressing Pastef delegates, Sonko cautioned against efforts to “sabotage” the political vision championed by his party.

“No plan to sabotage this revolution will succeed, because the people, standing alongside Pastef, will provide the necessary guarantees so that we can finally liberate our country,” he warned.

Pastef’s leadership boycotted the government appointed by Faye on Monday, even though some party members were included in the new ministerial roster.

With 130 of the 165 seats in the National Assembly, Pastef can at any time table a no-confidence motion to bring down the government.

Faye, in turn, could form a new government following a censure and will have the power to dissolve the National Assembly starting in November 2026.