
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced the creation of his own political party during a meeting at the Palace of the Republic. This move marks a break from his former ally and former Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko. The announcement follows persistent tensions and a deterioration in the relationship between President Faye and Sonko, who together led Pastef to power in 2024. The meeting included over a hundred mayors from various territorial communities, indicating an effort to establish a territorial base for the new political entity. The creation of this party is seen as a major turning point that could reshape the country's political landscape and reconfigure forces from the former Pastef, especially after the dissolution of the initial government and Sonko's departure from the prime minister's office.
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Must ReadHerv茅 Renard's departure from the Tunisian national team, following their elimination from the 2026 World Cup, has fueled speculation about his potential appointment as the head coach for the Senegal national team. Renard's contract with Tunisia was only for the duration of the World Cup, where the team lost all three group stage matches against Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands. He announced the end of his mission via Instagram, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the World Cup. This development comes as the position of Senegal's coach, Pape Thiaw, faces increasing scrutiny after the Lions' disappointing performance and elimination from the World Cup. Debates about a potential change in leadership for the Senegalese team have intensified. Renard, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner with Zambia and Ivory Coast, has previously coached Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the French women's national team. His experience with African national teams and his expressed interest in major continental projects make him a natural candidate for the ambitious Senegalese team, especially now that he is free of contractual obligations.
Must ReadFifpro, the global union for professional football players, has called for concrete measures to protect players from harassment, including racist abuse, during the ongoing World Cup. The union highlighted that players have been subjected to intimidation and hostile acts both online and in person, many of which were racist and discriminatory. Fifpro emphasized that these incidents are not isolated and require significant sanctions for those responsible, along with a collective commitment from law enforcement, social media platforms, media, supporters, and civil society to reverse this alarming trend. The union stated that while footballers carry the expectations of a nation, this should not come at the expense of their safety, dignity, or well-being. This appeal follows a report from FIFA's Social Media Moderation Service SMPS which identified 89,000 abusive posts during the 2026 World Cup group stage, with 11% being racist in nature. The SMPS, launched in 2022, noted a rise in racist insults, calling it a persistent threat to player well-being. The online hate continued into the knockout phase, with Dutch international players Crysencio Summerville, Justin Kluivert, and Quinten Timber reportedly targeted by racist insults on social media after missing penalty kicks in the Netherlands' loss to Morocco in the round of 32.
Must ReadCheikh Niang, Senegal's Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs, and Senegalese Abroad, secured the support of Cape Verdean President Jos茅 Maria Neves for General Birame Diop's candidacy for the presidency of the ECOWAS Commission for the 2026-2030 term. The meeting, held in Praia on Friday, July 3, 2026, was part of a mission to introduce General Birame Diop, former Minister of the Armed Forces of Senegal, to ECOWAS heads of state and government. Discussions also focused on strengthening bilateral relations between Senegal and Cabo Verde and key regional agenda issues. President Neves expressed satisfaction that the Commission's presidency would return to Senegal and praised the candidate's qualities and experience, assuring his full support for the candidacy ahead of the upcoming ECOWAS Summit and the future mandate.