Serigne Cheikh Saliou Mbacké, the man regarded as the marabout and spiritual godfather of Ousmane Sonko, the leader of Pastef and Speaker of the Senegalese National Assembly, died on Friday.
Serigne Cheikh was the son of the former Caliph General of the Mourides, Serigne Saliou Mbacké.
Paying tribute, Ousmane Sonko described the deceased religious leader as “a father, a friend, a confidant, and a guide”.
“He was there for me in my darkest moments, supporting me with his compassion, his advice, his prayers, and those of the thousands of disciples in the various daaras,” Sonko testifies.
For Ousmane Sonko, Serigne Cheikh was a “valiant man of work and spirituality.”
Serigne Cheikh Saliou Mbacké was considered one of the spiritual heirs to the legacy of his father, Serigne Saliou Mbacké, the last Caliph-son of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, founder of Mouridism. Deeply committed to the religious and educational values of the Mouride brotherhood, the deceased distinguished himself through Qur’anic teaching, mentoring disciples, and various social activities.
Faithful to family tradition, he also embodied the ideals of hard work, discipline, and the transmission of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba’s spiritual legacy. His father, Serigne Saliou Mbacké, profoundly influenced the religious and social history of Senegal. The Caliph General of the Mourides from 1990 to 2007, he was renowned for his devotion to the Qur’an, agriculture, and the development of the holy city of Touba.
