Tribune: Tribute to President Ousmane Sonko There are dates that mark a journey. Moments when we understand that something has just shifted in our perspective, in our convictions, in our relationship with the future. For me, September 16, 2018, is one of those dates. On that day, at the Place de la Nation, Ousmane Sonko was not just launching the book Solutions. He was opening up a space for reflection, debate, and hope. Through this book, he was not merely proposing a program: he was inviting Senegalese people to think differently about our country, our sovereignty, our relationship with the state, and our collective destiny. I discovered a stature, a presence, and a heartfelt speech. I saw boldness, innovation, but above all the rare courage of a politician willing to submit to questions, defend his ideas, take responsibility for his proposals, and carry a vision in a political arena too often reduced to slogans and empty promises. A year earlier, I had already followed his journey with interest. At home, I was teased by being called "the Sonkiste." But on September 16, 2018, I was convinced. Convinced that another political language was possible. Convinced that politics could rely on ideas, a vision, and a profound demand for truth. On May 26, 2026, from the rostrum of the National Assembly, @SonkoOfficiel extended this same consistency. In his investiture speech, he placed the debate where it should always be held: not merely around the conquest or exercise of power but around its profound meaning. "What is at stake transcends individuals. What is at stake is the relationship between morality and politics." This sentence brings us back to the essential: by what name do we govern? To serve what interests? And in the name of which values? Ethics must never be a mere ornament of discourse. It must be the compass of public action. Because when words lose their value, the state loses its meaning; and when the state loses its meaning, the people's trust begins to erode. Loyalty. Truth. Justice. Respect for the word given. The refusal to confuse the state with personal or clan interests. These are the principles that give a soul to political commitment and transform individual ambition into a collective project. Since 2018, challenges have been abundant. Yet, the course has remained the same: defend sovereignty, restore the dignity of the Senegalese people, and make politics a true instrument of transformation. The history of PASTEF already constitutes a case study in the political history of our country, and even beyond. It is the story of a movement driven by ideas, structured by work, nourished by sacrifice, and elevated by exceptional popular mobilization. There have been mistakes, oh yes. But PASTEF always rises. Like the leopard in our logo, it moves forward with strength, resilience, and determination. To my wounded patriotic brothers and sisters in their souls by the current political space, I want to say this: I remain convinced that what is at play today represents a necessary step in the construction of our country's future and our democracy. A step toward the definitive liberation of our leaders from any form of alienation. A step also toward the building of a Senegal where we can raise our children and look them in the eye. The people are watching, attentive. They remain the guarantors of our Republic. And, when the time comes, they will decide. Today, I want to pay a heartfelt tribute to President Ousmane Sonko. Tribute to a man of courage. Tribute to a man of convictions. Tribute to a man who has placed ethics, values, and the meaning of the struggle at the heart of political debate... (translated)
