Following a blistering critique from Ousmane Sonko, Senegal’s presidential coalition has fired back with sharp rebukes. The leader of the Pastef party accused President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of prioritizing political ambitions over national interests during an event in Touba.

Sonko, speaking at the inauguration of his party’s headquarters in the holy city of Touba on Sunday evening, July 12, 2026, claimed the president’s actions were driven by self-interest. He highlighted the country’s “unsustainably high debt” and the absence of a structured agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as evidence that citizens were not the government’s priority. “The Senegalese people must understand they are not a concern for Diomaye Faye,” he declared before a crowd of supporters.

The president’s camp swiftly dismissed Sonko’s remarks as “scandalous” and “unworthy of a National Assembly President.” In an official statement, the coalition defended Faye’s commitment to improving living conditions for citizens, accusing Sonko of “perpetuating a culture of perpetual confrontation” instead of constructive dialogue.