Senegal stands at a crossroads in its political journey. Following the dismissal of his former Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, on May 22, 2026, amid deep political disagreements and escalating tensions within the executive branch, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye formally launched his new political party, ‘Les Patriotes Républicains,’ on July 25, 2026, in Dakar. This move signals a significant reshaping of Senegal’s political landscape.

During the inauguration ceremony, the President emphasized that the new party aims to unite Senegalese citizens around core values of patriotism, grassroots engagement, and collective progress.

The establishment of this party follows President Faye’s decision to step down as leader of the Pastef (Patriotes Africains du Sénégal pour le Travail, l’Éthique et la Fraternité) party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly. This step was taken to honor his commitment to separating the presidential role from partisan leadership.

The creation of ‘Les Patriotes Républicains’ is the culmination of a restructuring process initiated in November 2025. The goal was to establish a new political platform open to all segments of the presidential majority.

Aminata Touré, the General Supervisor of the ‘Diomaye Président’ coalition, announced at the founding assembly that 437 political parties and movements had agreed to merge into this new formation.

This initiative comes at a time of growing political divergence between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his former Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, who currently serves as President of the National Assembly and was once a close ally within the Pastef movement.

The launch also follows a July ruling by the Constitutional Council, which declared unconstitutional the process that led to the adoption of the constitutional revision law by the National Assembly, following a challenge by the President.