APR Members Launch Independent Movements Challenging Party Unity

New Political Movements Challenge APR Unity

The political landscape within the Alliance for the Republic (APR) is shifting as two senior figures have formally established their own organizations. On July 18, 2026, Thérèse Faye Diouf, a former minister and director general under the regime of Macky Sall, launched her movement, And Dekkal Yaakar, at an event in the Hlm Grand-Yoff neighborhood. The following day, Pape Mahawa Diouf, the former head of the Senegalese Agency for Tourism Promotion (ASPT), introduced his own structure, known as Racine or Reeni Askan Wi.

These initiatives follow a period of internal criticism regarding the party’s direction. Thérèse Faye Diouf had previously expressed concerns that the APR had become overly elitist and detached from grassroots realities, though she maintained that these criticisms did not signal an intention to join the current governing coalition. The creation of these movements is viewed by observers as a response to the party’s struggle to maintain its footing after the end of Macky Sall’s presidency.

Oumar Youm’s Interpretation of Party Statutes

The party’s leadership has not yet issued an official statement regarding these new groups, but senior official Oumar Youm has provided a stark assessment of their compatibility with APR rules. In an interview published this week, he argued that the party’s existing framework leaves no room for independent movements created by its own members.

The statutes of the party, as they stand, do not allow militants or officials to have movements. The APR cannot have movements. Oumar Youm, former minister and APR official

Youm distinguished between internal disagreements and the formal establishment of parallel entities. He noted that while party members are free to hold differing opinions or divergences, the act of creating a separate movement indicates an exit from the party’s functional scope. According to his analysis, such actions necessitate a response from the organization.

The Question of Potential Sanctions

While Youm clarified that no formal decision on disciplinary measures has been reached, he indicated that the path forward lies with the party’s internal governing bodies. He emphasized that any potential sanctions would require a formal, contradictory examination of the file before a line of conduct could be proposed. The party is currently navigating this process amid a broader atmosphere of political realignment.

The APR is facing a series of departures, with various local and national leaders moving toward the coalition currently in power. The challenge for the party, as it confronts this fragilization, is whether it will choose to accommodate these new movements or enforce its statutes to prevent further fragmentation. As of July 24, 2026, the party has yet to determine which of these two paths it will take.