DAKAR, July 21 – Senegal has officially thrown its support behind former President Macky Sall’s bid to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, giving his campaign the backing of his home country despite years of political tension between the country’s current and former leaders.
The country’s foreign ministry said President Bassirou Diomaye Faye approved the endorsement after meeting Sall on Friday. According to the ministry, Faye has directed the government to fully support the campaign, describing it as “Senegal’s candidacy in the service of Africa.”
Sall, who served as Senegal’s president from 2012 to 2024, is one of five candidates seeking to succeed UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term ends on December 31.
The endorsement is a notable move, given the strained relationship between the two leaders since Faye took office in April 2024. Faye’s administration has repeatedly criticised Sall’s time in office, accusing his government of financial mismanagement and political repression. Sall has denied those claims.
Relations were further tested after Sall’s attempt to delay the 2024 presidential election sparked deadly protests before Senegal’s Constitutional Council overturned the decision. Faye later won the election and replaced Sall as president.
Although Burundi, as the current chair of the African Union, had already nominated Sall for the UN’s top job, Senegal had until now not publicly declared its support.
This decision gives Sall official backing from his country as the race for the UN’s highest office gathers momentum.
