Tanzania, July 26 -- Dakar. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has officially launched a new political party, formalising his split with former ally Ousmane Sonko and setting the stage for a fresh political contest within the country's ruling camp.

The new party, Republican Patriots, was unveiled on Saturday after months of growing tensions between Faye and Sonko, leader of the ruling Pastef party. The two leaders swept to power together in the 2024 presidential election on a joint platform that promised to tackle corruption, create jobs and secure a greater share of Senegal's oil, gas and mineral wealth.

In recent weeks, several senior Pastef officials, regional leaders and members of the party's youth wing have defected to Fay...