Senegal’s Pastef party to hold historic congress in june 2026

The Patriotic Africans of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity (Pastef) party is gearing up for its first-ever national elective congress, scheduled for June 6-7, 2026, in Dakar. This landmark event will focus primarily on electing the party’s new president, setting the stage for future political direction.

In a move that comes as no surprise, incumbent Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko stands as the sole candidate for his own re-election to the party leadership. The party’s High Authority for Party Regulation (HARP) recently published the list of approved candidates, confirming Sonko’s candidacy while rejecting seven others. The rejected applications were deemed invalid due to incomplete documentation—missing identification or membership cards—or procedural irregularities that could not be rectified after the May 20 deadline.

The upcoming congress, presided over by Sonko himself, will not only determine the party’s next leader but also adopt key political strategies for the coming years. With local elections on the horizon in 2027 and presidential polls set for 2029, this gathering is poised to shape the political landscape of Senegal in the years ahead.