Former Senegalese president bows out a day after the Security Council’s sixth straw poll, citing a Council preference for a Latin American, and possibly female, candidate
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has withdrawn his bid to become the next UN Secretary-General. Sall’s campaign has struggled to gain traction from the start.
In a statement released on Saturday, Sall said he decided to end his candidacy after consulting with Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, the current chair of the African Union, and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, the current chair of ECOWAS. His announcement comes after the latest round of informal vote in the UN Security Council, in which Sall faced three potential vetoes from permanent members.
Sall said he hopes his decision will help “a consensus candidacy emerge within the Security Council,” noting that “since the beginning of the process, the results of the various test votes have pointed to a choice in favor of a candidate from the Latin America and Caribbean region, and possibly a woman.”
A Steep Hill From Day One
Sall’s candidacy was fraught from the outset, starting at home. He was nominated in March through a letter from Burundi’s UN mission, but Burundi did not submit the nomination in its capacity as AU chair, leaving Sall without a formal African Union endorsement.
Senegal’s government initially did not endorse Sall, accusing his administration of political repression and concealing economic data during his final years in power. Sall’s attempt to postpone the 2024 presidential election triggered deadly protests and was ultimately struck down by the Constitutional Council.
Faye changed his mind in July. The Senegalese President endorsed him in July, but it was too little too late. At the time, Faye instructed his government to mobilize behind Sall’s bid. The shift was controversial in Dakar, however. During Sall’s visit to his country’s capital, one of Faye’s political advisers resigned in protest, and civil society groups renewed calls for accountability over deaths during his tenure.
Straw polls: never in contention
Sall drew more “discourage” than “encourage” votes in every round, according to leaked results reported by the 1 for 8 Billion campaign:
Senegal’s July endorsement made no apparent difference. The September 18 poll marked a drop from his first two rounds despite Faye’s official backing.
The October 16 round, the first to use color-coded ballots that separate permanent members’ votes, showed Sall facing potential vetoes from three of the five permanent members.
“I remain fully committed”
Sall, who led Senegal from 2012 to 2024, said his bid was driven by a desire to put “nearly forty years of public life at the service of the United Nations.”
In his announcement letter, Sall wrote for “The United Nations must undertake a profound transformation of its working methods and its functioning,” he said, adding that Africa “must continue to make its voice heard” and claim its rightful place in global governance.
“I am withdrawing my candidacy, but I remain fully committed to the ideals that inspired it,” Sall said.
Six candidates are still in the race, after Michelle Bachelet, Chile’s former president, withdrew her candidate in September. Guterres’s second term expires on December 31, 2026. A candidate needs at least nine votes from the 15-member Council and must avoid a veto from any permanent member
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