Former president returns to Senegal in UN bid
Senegal’s former President Macky Sall will make his first visit to the country since 2024 reports Africanews on July 14th.
Sall’s only scheduled activity while in Dakar, Senegal’s capital is to meet his successor and the current President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye to discuss his candidacy for United Nations (UN) secretary-general.
The meeting between Diomaye Faye and Sall comes after a two year period of political tension between their parties over allegations of hidden debt and Sall’s crackdown on supporters of the Pastef party while in power.
Therefore, the meeting offers both involved a opportunity to restore positive relations and an international image of domestic diplomacy between former political rivals. It also creates a chance for Sall to grow support and credibility for his plans to become UN secretary general.
On social media Sall described the trip as being linked to his ongoing campaign to lead the UN and he is expected to be in Senegal for approximately three hours, from 3 pm to 6pm.
January 2027 marks the start of the next UN secretary-general’s five year term with the current holder of the role, Antonio Guterres approaching the end of his second term on December 31st 2026. Sall’s campaign to be UN secretary-general has already started. In March 2026 the African Union refused to endorse him as Senegal alongside 19 other countries opposed his candidacy.
Dakar stated it hadn’t been involved in Sall’s candidacy and neither initiated or supported his campaign. This came after Sall received no official response to his request for Senegal’s support on February 5th 2026.
According to the Collective of Victims of Macky Sall’s regime, the alleged arrests, violence and abuse during his presidency should not be overlooked by his international goals and plans.
Africanews, Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
