Senegal’s political split: Faye and Sonko’s power struggle documented

Senegal finds itself under the global spotlight this weekend as a high-profile documentary exposes the widening rift between two of the country’s most influential leaders. The investigative piece, titled Friends turned foes: The split reshaping Senegal, dives into the growing chasm between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder as PASTEF party allies.

This international coverage follows just 48 hours after the Constitutional Council invalidated a sweeping constitutional reform passed by Parliament at the end of June. The episode has intensified hostilities between the two figures and is reshaping Senegal’s political landscape with the 2029 presidential election looming on the horizon.

From partners to rivals in power

Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Ousmane Sonko secured their joint victory in the 2024 presidential election under the PASTEF banner. The party now commands 130 of the 165 seats in the National Assembly, a commanding majority meant to streamline governance.

Yet, as the documentary reveals, ideological rifts surfaced almost immediately, particularly over economic policy and relations with international financial institutions like the IMF. Observers have described the situation as a ‘fratricidal battle’ between two competing visions for the future direction of the country.

Adding fuel to the fire, Ousmane Sonko simultaneously serves as prime minister and president of the National Assembly, a dual role that centralizes legislative and executive authority and has fueled tensions with the presidency. The documentary highlights this unusual institutional setup and the friction it has generated.

The constitutional reform at the heart of the crisis

On June 29, 2026, Parliament approved a constitutional reform aimed at expanding the powers of the legislature and the prime minister. Among its provisions, the bill sought to bar the president from leading a political party and proposed replacing the Constitutional Council with a nine-member Constitutional Court.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye challenged the reform’s passage by filing a complaint with the Constitutional Council on July 7. The institution ruled on July 10, striking down the reform on procedural grounds and citing the absence of allocated funding for the proposed Constitutional Court.

Prime Minister Sonko responded by stating that the decision ‘applies to all’, though his terse statement did little to clarify how the institutional standoff would unfold.

A high-stakes showdown watched from abroad

The release of the documentary underscores the keen international interest in Senegal’s unfolding political drama. The outlet, with a substantial audience in Francophone Africa, provides a detailed analysis of what it frames as a pivotal political realignment.

For an international observer, the situation underscores that Senegal, long regarded as a beacon of democratic stability in West Africa, is not immune to institutional tensions. With a population of approximately 19 million, the country remains a key economic and diplomatic partner for France in the region.

Local media outlets have extensively covered the reform’s invalidation, emphasizing the depth of the schism at the highest levels of government. Several commentators have labeled the clash between Faye and Sonko a ‘summit duel’, a phrase echoed across Senegalese news platforms.

Understanding Senegal’s political context

Senegal operates as a presidential republic, where the head of state traditionally wields significant authority. The 2024 election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye marked a significant political shift, driven by the momentum of the PASTEF party and Ousmane Sonko’s widespread popularity.

The current arrangement, in which the prime minister also presides over Parliament, is unprecedented and concentrates legislative and executive levers in a single individual’s hands. This dynamic helps explain the president’s pushback against a reform perceived as weakening the executive’s prerogatives.

The country faces pressing economic challenges, particularly regarding public debt management and ongoing negotiations with the IMF. The disagreements between Faye and Sonko on these issues, as noted by regional analysts, reflect deeper strategic divides that extend beyond mere power struggles.

Election stakes and future outlook

The 2027 local elections and the 2029 presidential vote loom large on the horizon. Analysts anticipate that the growing rift between Faye and Sonko will shape the next electoral cycle, with the potential for a PASTEF split or a reconfiguration of alliances.

The party’s overwhelming parliamentary majority complicates matters: neither leader can govern effectively without the other without risking institutional paralysis. The question of who will ultimately control the PASTEF apparatus has become central to the national discourse.

The documentary underscores this temporal dimension: the current crisis is not a fleeting incident but the beginning of a prolonged battle for control of Senegalese power structures. The coming months will reveal whether the two men can coexist or if their breakup becomes permanent.

While the Constitutional Council’s decision has provided temporary relief for President Faye, it has done little to resolve their fundamental differences. Senegal’s political stage is entering a period of uncertainty, closely monitored by regional and international stakeholders.