Senegal’s opposition unites: New coalition aims to challenge president Bassirou Diomaye Faye

A broad-based Senegalese opposition coalition has emerged, named “Bloc des Libéraux et Démocrates” (BLD) – Takku, meaning “to unite” in Wolof.

The announcement, made through a formal communiqué, signifies a major shift in the political landscape as several key parties and movements consolidate their efforts against President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s administration.

The BLD – Takku coalition comprises 40 parties and movements from the liberal and democratic spectrum.

Notable among them are the Alliance pour la République (APR), led by former President Macky Sall, and Rewmi, the party of former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck.

However, the Parti Démocratique Sénégalais (PDS) led by Karim Wade is conspicuously absent from this coalition.

The coalition’s mission is to “perpetuate and amplify the legacy of decades of struggle by liberals and their allies,” which they claim has been instrumental in establishing democracy and driving Senegal’s socio-economic emergence from 2000 to 2024.

The BLD – Takku aims to promote cooperation, idea-sharing, consensus-building, and pooling of human, material, and financial resources to advance common policies and values.

Modou Diagne Fada, a former minister, ex-deputy, and one of the key architects of the BLD – Takku, emphasized that the coalition seeks to create “blocks” of opposition to the government.

He highlighted that the coalition’s immediate goal is ideological unity, with a longer-term vision of forming electoral blocks ahead of the legislative elections.

In an interview with RFI, Diagne Fada revealed that the coalition is in the process of forming a liberal and democratic alliance but does not rule out future collaborations with socialist or left-leaning forces to broaden their coalition.

He clarified that membership in the alliance requires one to be liberal or democratic and opposed to the current regime.

This new coalition represents a significant strategic move by Senegal’s opposition as they prepare to challenge President Faye’s administration, potentially reshaping the political dynamics in the run-up to future elections.