DAKAR, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Saturday officially launched his own political party, named "Kiiraay, Les Patriotes républicains" (Kiiraay, the Republican Patriots), at a founding assembly in Dakar.
The new party grew out of the Diomaye President Coalition, which backed Faye's candidacy in the March 2024 presidential election. Participants at the assembly adopted the party's founding documents and unveiled its motto, "The Homeland First."
In Wolof, "Kiiraay" conveys the idea of protection, shelter or a shield. According to party officials, the new formation aims to bring together political parties, movements and individuals supporting the president's agenda.
The party's establishment was overseen by former Prime Minister Aminata Toure, whom Faye had tasked with uniting his supporters under a single political organization.
The launch comes amid a political split between Faye and Ousmane Sonko, his former prime minister, who now serves as president of the National Assembly and leads the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity, commonly known as PASTEF.
Faye, a former secretary-general of PASTEF, stepped down from the post after assuming the presidency in 2024. In the legislative elections held in November that year, PASTEF won 130 of the National Assembly's 165 seats. ■