Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye plans to create his own political party, a coalition supporting him said.
The coalition said late Friday that Faye has instructed senior adviser Aminata Toure to set up a task force to establish the party.
Faye has so far been a member of the ruling Pastef party, led by Ousmane Sonko. Faye dismissed Sonko as prime minister in May after months of tensions between them.
Sonko is now speaker of the National Assembly and is pushing constitutional reforms that would bar a sitting president from leading a political party. Lawmakers approved the changes last week, but Faye has decided to put them to a referendum. The date is not yet clear.
The political upheaval comes as Senegal faces a crisis over revelations of misreported debt under the previous government.
Both Faye and Sonko are preparing for local elections in 2027 that will test their support across the country.
