Politics often shapes alliances, and yesterday’s companions can become today’s adversaries, especially when power, its prerogatives, and the ambitions it ignites challenge trust. The unfolding relationship between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko appears to follow this familiar pattern. After enduring shared challenges, the two men now find themselves in a situation where every move is scrutinized, every statement interpreted, and every decision is viewed through the lens of a potential power struggle.

The convening of this extraordinary session of the Assemblée nationale takes place amid a particularly tense political atmosphere. The parliamentary majority, aligned with Pastef, represents a significant political force. The extent to which this legislative power can influence the President’s decisions is a central and pressing concern.

The legality versus legitimacy dilemma

This is where a profound unease begins to manifest. The line between what is legally permissible and what is legitimately acceptable can become perilously thin. A parliamentary majority may be entirely within its legal rights to exercise its prerogatives. However, the lawful exercise of power should never lead to undermining institutional stability.

Even less should it entrench the nation in a continuous state of institutional confrontation. Sénégal does not require another high-level duel. It needs stability, clarity, and institutions robust enough to transcend personal disputes.

Indeed, beyond the unfolding saga of Diomaye and Sonko, the very foundation of the Republic is at stake. The most troubling outcome would be for political rivalry to ultimately eclipse the national interest.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term. He has three years remaining to fulfill the mandate entrusted to him by the Senegalese people. This democratic reality should impose a simple principle on all—both the majority and the opposition: one can challenge, criticize, oversee, and even oppose, but without transforming state institutions into battlegrounds.

Risks of perpetual political crisis

The events of today must therefore be regarded with gravity. It is not merely a question of who will prevail in this latest confrontation. More crucially, it is about preventing the country from sliding into a permanent political crisis, where each institution attempts to assert dominance over the others.

Political friendships may fade. Alliances can dissolve. Ambitions may clash. Yet, the Republic must stand firm. Therefore, the urgent priority may no longer be about fostering an understanding between two men, but rather safeguarding the Republic from divisive quarrels.

Diomaye and Sonko may pursue divergent political paths. They may even engage in a power struggle. However, their disagreements must never become those of the state, nor should they jeopardize the remaining three years of the elected president’s mandate.

Sénégal deserves more than another chapter in the graveyard of political friendships. It deserves for legality to serve popular legitimacy, and for institutions to remain stronger than any individual.