Dr Abdourahmane Diouf, Senegal’s Minister of Energy and Petroleum and a founding member of the KIIRAAY – Les Patriotes Républicains party, appeared on En Vérité this past Sunday to address the deepening divisions within Pastef. The broadcast, hosted on Radio Sénégal Internationale, revealed stark truths about the internal fractures currently destabilizing the party and its leadership.
The minister’s unfiltered take on Pastef’s contradictions
With uncompromising clarity, Dr Diouf laid the blame for the crisis squarely at the feet of Pastef and its leadership, particularly Ousmane Sonko. He emphasized that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had remained steadfast in honoring commitments made to the Senegalese people, only to be undermined by those meant to support him. According to the minister, the president’s isolation and the deliberate sabotage of his mandate were orchestrated by internal betrayals within his own party.
« This party is riddled with contradictions, » Dr Diouf declared. « It accuses the president of disloyalty while its own members actively work to render governance impossible. » He went on to describe Pastef’s leadership as inconsistent, unable to align behind their own leader while publicly preaching moral lessons to others.
Government departures and the cost of instability
The minister also addressed the recent wave of resignations from key government figures. He clarified that these departures were voluntary, not forced, and had left the president without the parliamentary majority needed to implement his agenda. « Those who left chose to walk away, » he stated. « They abandoned the very tools required to turn vision into reality. »
A call for unity and a second term
Looking ahead, Dr Abdourahmane Diouf made a strong case for President Faye’s re-election in 2029. His reasoning? The president’s commitment to delivering on his promises and the need for stability in a politically turbulent climate. The minister’s stance also reflects his recent decision to launch a new political party, signaling a strategic realignment in Senegal’s evolving political landscape.
The revelations from this interview underscore the high stakes of Senegal’s current political moment. With fractures widening and allegiances shifting, the future of Pastef—and the country’s governance—hangs in the balance.