The perceived split between Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Ousmane Sonko: a political whitewash?

Initially united, they acted to prevent the President’s departure from the Superior Council of Magistracy, a decision that directly contradicted a reform they had previously pledged.

Together, they overlooked calls for applications to key leadership positions, despite these procedures being explicitly outlined within their own political agenda.

They had committed to repealing the amnesty law but ultimately allowed it to remain unchanged, failing to deliver on a significant campaign promise.

Political funds were distributed among them without public discourse, even though regulating these funds merely required a simple majority in the National Assembly—a majority they secured just months after assuming power.

Interestingly, those who previously refrained from initiating any significant reforms while Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye were closely allied are now demonstrating an extraordinary zeal for changes they had ample opportunity to pursue and implement much earlier.

The National Assembly, a vital institution of the Republic, deserves more than mere political score-settling, performative posturing, and staged divisions that ultimately cannot absolve them of their collective responsibilities.

By Daniel Mbami — Politics and Security