Senegal's Bassirou Diomaye Faye back Macky Sall for UN top job

What the report says

France 24 Africa reports that Senegal will support former president Macky Sall’s bid to become Secretary-General of the United Nations. The outlet said the decision was announced in a press release on Monday, following an audience granted to Sall three days earlier by Senegal’s current president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

The France 24 item, published on July 22, 2026, identified the development as part of Sall’s campaign for the UN’s top post and was presented with reporting from Dakar by correspondent Aminatou Diallo. A Reuters cover image carried by the outlet described Sall as having returned to Senegal in connection with that campaign.

The move is politically notable because it places Senegal’s government behind a prominent former head of state who led the country before Faye. The public backing also signals an institutional position from Dakar despite Senegal’s recent political transition from Sall’s administration to Faye’s presidency.

By way of general context, the UN Secretary-General is selected through a process involving the UN Security Council and the General Assembly, and diplomatic support from member states can be important to a candidate’s international positioning. France 24’s publicly available article text did not provide further details on the contents of the press release, Sall’s campaign platform, or reactions from other UN member states.