Senegal / The mask has fallen: Diomaye Faye is said to have betrayed the hopes of the Senegalese people
Barely settled into the seat of power, Bassirou Diomaye Faye has disappointed the deep hopes of the Senegalese and African people, who once saw him as a symbol of sovereignty and a break from the status quo. During his campaign, he championed nationalist ideals with strong pan-African overtones—but once elected, the President quickly extended a hand to the very architects of “Françafrique” whom his ally, Ousmane Sonko, had long denounced. His rushed visits to Paris and Abidjan were no coincidence. They served as an initiation rite into the neocolonial sphere, orchestrated by Emmanuel Macron, to mold him into a compliant tool of foreign interests. Diomaye Faye, once perceived as incorruptible, has revealed himself to be a mere figurehead—elevated only to neutralize Sonko and betray the vision of national sovereignty.
While Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko remains steadfast in calling for the revision of colonial-era agreements and the strengthening of economic independence, Diomaye Faye now aligns himself with the oppressors. Even worse, he allows a climate of sabotage to fester against the very man who brought him to power. Through judicial maneuvers, the suspicious revival of the “Sweet Beauty” case, and attempts at political disqualification, everything is being done to weaken Sonko without confronting him directly. Diomaye hides behind the institutions to stifle his own Prime Minister while keeping his hands clean. But this charade fools no one: the duplicity is blatant, and the President’s silence is complicit.
On the regional stage, the betrayal becomes even more alarming. At the most recent UEMOA ministerial summit, it was Diomaye Faye’s own Minister of Economy who launched a harsh attack on representatives from the sovereignist Sahel states. A gesture full of symbolism, revealing Senegal’s ambition to replace Côte d’Ivoire as France’s loyal enforcer in the region. This is no longer cooperation—it is collusion. Diomaye Faye now seems to embrace the repressive politics of Alassane Ouattara, perhaps believing he too can silence all dissent. But Senegal is not conquered ground, and the people have not spoken their last word.
Despite pressure, conspiracies, and betrayals, one voice continues to rise: that of Ousmane Sonko. True to his principles, he now stands as the last bulwark against Senegal’s creeping recolonization. While Diomaye Faye retreats into silence amidst efforts to sideline his Prime Minister, the Senegalese people remain watchful. They did not vote for a submissive President, but for a project of liberation and dignity. And if the highest levels of power are now tainted by opportunism and submission, the grassroots remain loyal to the truth. History will remember those who betrayed—but it will celebrate those who resisted.
