Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye launched his own political party, Kiray (Republican Patriots), on Saturday, formally cementing his break with former prime minister and erstwhile ally Ousmane Sonko, who leads the ruling Pastef party. The two men swept to power together in 2024 on pledges to fight corruption and secure greater national revenue from Senegal's oil and gas wealth, but their alliance collapsed over disputes including how to handle IMF loan negotiations amid a severe debt crisis — one compounded by the discovery that the previous administration had hidden billions of dollars in borrowing. The new party sets the stage for a direct political rivalry likely to play out in local elections in 2027 and a potential presidential showdown in 2029, with Sonko already holding significant leverage as president of the National Assembly and head of a party that retains a large parliamentary majority.