Pastef member Minister Moussa Bala Fofana has come out to clarify his position in the face of Ousmane Sonko’s criticism. He reaffirmed his loyalty to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and emphasised the importance of the continuity of the state despite the differences.
Fofana has been named the new minister of Urban Planning, Territorial Communities and Territorial Planning.
In a statement made public, the minister said he wanted to clarify his posture after the remarks of the party’s president, Ousmane Sonko, who mentioned the case of some members of the executive accused of not aligning themselves with the political orientations of the formation.
In his remarks, Moussa Bala Fofana claimed to have received the renewed trust of President Faye and welcomes what he describes as institutional honour. He states that he did not know Bassirou Diomaye Faye before the political family came to power, but said he discovered a framework of work focussed on the implementation of public policies. He also emphasised his past collaboration with Ousmane Sonko, now Speaker of the National Assembly.
Reacting more directly to the remarks attributed to Ousmane Sonko in his statement of 2nd June, 2026, Fofana distanced himself from any breach of commitment or partisan disobedience saying he acted freely and in a personal capacity. The minister added that his decision to remain in government was not motivated either by career considerations or by a desire for distrust, but by a personal reading of his public responsibilities. He insisted that no political pressure guided his choice.
Continuing his argument, the minister evoked an arbitration between partisan discipline and national responsibility. He explained that he chose to favour the continuity of the commitments made to citizens during the 2024 campaign. “Between a partisan logic and my duty to the nation, I chose to continue the mission entrusted to me. This position, is part of a logic of public service where the general interest must take precedence over immediate political considerations. Senegal is greater than any of us,” he stated.
