Less than 6 months prior to the presidential election in Senegal the main opposition coalition, Yewwi Askan Wi, faces internal turmoil. The coalition’s unity is in jeopardy following the formal separation of one of its founding parties on Thursday, August 10.
Before the 2022 local elections, over a dozen political groups came together to establish the coalition. Notable groups included Ousmane Sonko’s PASTEF and Taxawu Senegal, led by former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall.
On August 9, Yewwi Askan Wi accused Taxawu Sénégal of a “betrayal” stemming from a dispute during a Dakar city council meeting. The disagreement led to the removal of one of Pastef’s coordinators from his position as first deputy, as reported by the local press.
According to Yewwi Askan Wi, this perceived “betrayal” serves as the basis for ending the partnership between the two groups. In response, Taxawu Sénégal refutes the claim and denounces it as a “deceptive pretext” intended to force their expulsion.
Recently, the party associated with Senegalese opposition figure Khalifa Sall regained its electoral rights. This restoration occurred in early August, and Khalifa Sall has been declared a candidate for the 2024 presidential election by the National Assembly.
Tensions between Khalifa Sall’s party and the broader coalition had been escalating. This friction arose after Khalifa Sall participated in a contentious National Dialogue in May, which aimed to defuse tensions prior to the rape trial involving another coalition leader, Ousmane Sonko. Sonko, who categorically refused to partake, saw his political party PASTEF dissolved as a consequence.
Senegal’s Interior Minister Antoine Diome defended his decision by citing PASTEF’s “frequent” calls for “insurrectionary movements.” Diome alleges that these actions led to multiple fatalities in March 2021 and June 2023, as well as instances of looting and vandalism targeting public and private property.