President Bassirou Diomaye Faye appoints Bakary Sakho as technical advisor
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has appointed Bakary Sakho, a lawyer with a Master's degree in private law, as a technical advisor to the President of the Republic. Sakho, a former member of the Pastef party led by Ousmane Sonko, left Pastef after his resignation to join Kiraay, President Faye's party. This appointment follows a split between the head of state and his former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. This rupture led to a wave of resignations within Pastef during the summer of 2026, with several officials, including leaders of the Senegalese Patriotic Youth, leaving the party to support the "presidential dynamic." Amidst this movement, Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially established his own party, "Kiiraay, Les Patriotes R茅publicains," on July 25, 2026, in Dakar. This party emerged from the transformation of the "Diomaye Pr茅sident" coalition, with Faye personally assuming its presidency. This move marked a departure from his initial stance upon taking office, when he had resigned from Pastef's general secretariat to separate presidential duties from party leadership.
