In a candid interview on Radio Sénégal Internationale, Dr Abdourahmane Diouf, Senegal’s Minister of Energy and Petroleum, delivered a scathing critique of the internal fractures plaguing the Pastef party. As a founding member of the KIIRAAY – Les Patriotes Républicains, he took a firm stance on the escalating tensions between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and former party leader Ousmane Sonko.
Dr Diouf minced no words in assigning blame for the crisis. He argued that the party’s leadership, particularly Sonko, had abandoned its core principles by turning against Faye, thereby undermining the president’s ability to govern effectively. « The president has remained steadfast in honoring his commitments, but it is the Pastef party and its leader who have chosen to isolate and betray him, rendering his mandate unworkable, » Diouf stated.
The minister went further, accusing Sonko of disloyalty and suggesting that Faye had no choice but to act decisively in response. He dismissed claims of presidential betrayal as baseless, emphasizing that the real issue lay in the party’s failure to align with its own leader’s vision. « Pastef cannot claim to condemn betrayal while simultaneously accusing the president of disloyalty, he remarked.
Addressing former government colleagues who have publicly criticized the administration, Diouf reminded them that their departure was voluntary, not forced. He pointed out that their exit had weakened the government’s parliamentary majority, complicating the implementation of critical policies. « They chose to leave, and in doing so, they deprived the president of the support needed to execute his agenda, he emphasized.
Looking ahead, Dr Abdourahmane Diouf made it clear that he supports President Faye’s bid for re-election in 2027. His stance, he revealed, was a key factor in his decision to launch a new political party. Additionally, he called out what he described as the Pastef party’s internal contradictions, arguing that its officials often struggle to align with their own leader while publicly lecturing others on morality.
Diouf’s remarks shed light on the deepening rifts within Senegal’s political landscape, where loyalty and betrayal are increasingly becoming defining themes of governance.
