Senegal officially endorsed ex-president Macky Sall’s bid for United Nations Secretary-General on July 20, reversing its prior position just three days after a meeting in Dakar between the former leader and current president Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

Until this shift, Dakar had not signaled support for Macky Sall, who led Senegal from 2012 to 2024. His candidacy was proposed not by his home country but by Burundi, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the African Union.

In late March, over twenty African Union member states—including Senegal—had declined to back his candidacy to succeed António Guterres.

Macky Sall faces accusations from Senegalese authorities, now in power since April 2024, of harshly suppressing opposition protests between 2021 and 2024, which resulted in numerous fatalities.

However, Dakar’s stance shifted dramatically within days of Macky Sall’s visit to the capital.

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