The rebellion is intensifying within the Socialist Party. Alioune Ndoye and the initiators of the "Dundal PS - Revive the Socialist Party" Manifesto took to the airwaves this Wednesday during a press conference to denounce the current management of the party and call for a thorough "refounding and reconstruction" in order to allow the political formation to regain its place in the Senegalese landscape.

Referring to the publication of the manifesto on January 28, 2026, the movement's leaders, through the director of the Socialist Party's training school, Alioune Ndoye, indicated that their initiative had garnered significant support from activists, sympathizers, and members of the diaspora. According to the mayor of Dakar-Plateau, this momentum demonstrates a strong desire for the revival of the Socialist Party, transcending internal divisions.

The initiators claim to have prioritized an institutional and consensual approach from the outset. However, they regret the silence of the leadership regarding the concerns raised. They also denounced the management of the work of the revitalization committee established by the party leadership. According to them, during the meeting of the National Executive Secretariat (NES) on February 5, 2026, they requested prior access to the committee's full report before any substantive discussion. This request, they assert, was never granted.

According to Alioune Ndoye, on February 18, only the commission was convened, and the full report was again refused. Since then, he has pointed to an "organized, deliberate, and methodical drift." He also accuses the Secretary General of presiding over "factional meetings," first at her home, then at the Léopold Sédar Senghor House, while sidelining regularly appointed National Secretaries. "A faction intends to seize sole control of the party, bypass its regular bodies, and impose its decisions," he declared.

The initiators of the manifesto reiterated that the Socialist Party's operations must remain in accordance with its statutes and internal regulations. They also condemned the alleged convening of a "general assembly" whose participants would be chosen arbitrarily by the ruling faction. Faced with this situation, they called on all Socialist Party members to mobilize en masse to make their voices heard and defend respect for internal rules.

The diagnosis: a Socialist Party in decline, far removed from the "real country"

Beyond organizational issues, the leaders of "Dundal PS" believe that the Socialist Party's main challenge lies in its inability to fully grasp the extent of its political decline. They cite as reasons the loss of influence in the national debate, decreased visibility, and the gradual disconnect from the expectations of young people, women, rural areas, and the diaspora.

For them, the Socialist Party's rebuilding cannot be limited to superficial adjustments. It must involve a renewal of practices, a strengthening of internal democracy, a clarification of the political line, and greater openness to new generations. "Rebuilding the Socialist Party is not cosmetic. The Socialist Party will only be able to regain its voice if it starts speaking to the real people of the country again," they declared, advocating for a vibrant, strong, and united party, capable of reconnecting with the ideals of social justice, solidarity, and republican dignity inherited from Léopold Sédar Senghor, Abdou Diouf, and Ousmane Tanor Dieng.

In this context, the initiators of "Dundal PS" are announcing the launch of a vast national and international tour targeting grassroots organizations and the diaspora. The stated objective is to gather the expectations of party members, revitalize local structures, and build a collective momentum for the rebirth of the Socialist Party.

The signatories declared themselves open to "any sincere and inclusive dialogue," based on transparency, respect for the party's statutes, and recognition of the crisis it is facing. "The Socialist Party may have doubts, but it must not give up. It may falter, but it must not fall," Alioune Ndoye emphasized. According to him, the time for "self-reassuring speeches" is over; now is the time for "clarity, courage, and sincere, consensual, and inclusive reconstruction." "'Dundal PS' is neither a statement of whim nor a factional movement: it is a commitment, a demand, a loyalty in action," he concluded.

Text: Bernadette Seynabou Faye

Fatoumata Kidiera & Abdoulaye Seck (Images)