With just days remaining until the first ordinary congress of the Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF) party, scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 2026, Secretary General Ousmane Sonko has issued a comprehensive statement. This extensive document chronicles the movement’s journey and articulates the ambitious objectives for the upcoming gathering.
In his address, the former Prime Minister adopts a dual perspective: that of a founder recalling the party’s humble beginnings in 2014, established “without financial resources” or “channels of influence,” and that of a strategist contemplating the critical challenges post-victory. He emphasized, “History teaches that political transformations can be undermined if they lack a clear doctrine, a robust organizational structure, or a long-term strategy.”
Sonko’s tribune traces a narrative arc from the widespread popular mobilizations of 2021-2024, which he describes as “one of the most intense periods in recent Senegalese history,” leading up to the June 2026 congress. He envisions this event as a pivotal moment, marking the transition “from a movement of rupture to a fully organized party.” Delegates, representing both national sections and the diaspora, are expected to endorse an ideological charter, a strategic orientation document, foundational party theses, and a general resolution.
The central theme of the text is the concept of sovereignty, which Sonko defines not merely as a slogan, but as “a method of governance.” This encompasses crucial areas such as natural resources, budgetary decisions, agricultural policy, the educational system, and Senegal’s standing on the global stage. He further integrates a cultural dimension, emphasizing the promotion of national languages, the reappropriation of history, the mastery of technology, and a broader Pan-African ambition to harmonize national sovereignty with continent-wide economic and scientific integration.
Released amidst prevailing executive tensions and his own recent exclusion from government, Sonko’s tribune also serves as a clear declaration: the founder of PASTEF intends to exert significant influence over the party’s ideological direction, irrespective of institutional fluctuations.