By Ajong Mbapndah L
Former Senegalese President bows out after Security Council informal vote, acknowledges preference for a Latin American candidate and calls for UN reforms and a stronger African voice in global governance.
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has withdrawn from the race to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, ending his bid for the world’s top diplomatic position following an informal vote by the Security Council on October 16, 2026.
In a statement issued from Marrakech, Morocco, on October 17, Sall said he reached the decision after consultations with Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, Chairperson of the African Union, and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
The former Senegalese leader acknowledged that the voting process had increasingly favoured candidates from Latin America and the Caribbean, making his continued participation difficult to justify.
“Since the beginning of the process, the results of the various votes have indicated a preference for a candidacy from the Latin America and Caribbean group,” Sall said, adding that he respected that choice.
The admission provided a candid explanation for his withdrawal from a contest in which regional considerations, diplomatic alliances and the positions of the Security Council’s permanent members carry considerable weight.
Sall, who served as Senegal’s president from 2012 to 2024 and chaired the African Union in 2022, said his ambition had been to place his experience at the service of the international community.
“My candidacy was essentially motivated by the desire to place my experience as a former head of state at the service of the United Nations,” he explained.
He thanked President Ndayishimiye for sponsoring his candidacy and President Faye for his support, an acknowledgement of particular political significance given the change of government in Senegal in April 2024.
Sall also expressed appreciation to Security Council members who supported his bid, his campaign team, religious and traditional authorities, political organisations, civil society groups and Senegalese citizens at home and abroad who rallied behind his candidacy.
“I extend my sincere thanks to the members of my team who accompanied me for months with faith and determination,” he said.
The former president reserved some of his strongest remarks for the challenges facing the United Nations, arguing that the organisation must change if it is to remain effective in an increasingly divided world.
“While the world remains confronted with the multiplication of conflicts, worsening geopolitical rivalries, fragmentation of the international order and unprecedented economic and financial challenges, I remain convinced that the United Nations must undertake a profound transformation of its working methods and operations,” Sall declared.
His remarks come against the backdrop of growing frustration over the Security Council’s inability to reach agreement on major international crises, with divisions among permanent members frequently limiting the organisation’s response.
For Africa, Sall said the question of representation in global decision-making remained particularly important. The continent continues to press for permanent representation on the Security Council, arguing that its exclusion from the Council’s permanent membership is increasingly difficult to defend.
“Africa, which is at the heart of the challenges of peace, security and development, must also continue to make its voice heard and pursue its efforts to occupy its rightful place in global governance,” he said.
The October 16 informal vote exposed the difficulties facing Sall’s campaign. Reported results indicated that he received five favourable votes and ten unfavourable votes, including opposition from three permanent Security Council members. The results left his chances of securing the Council’s recommendation severely diminished.
The contest to succeed António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026, remains open, with candidates from Latin America and the Caribbean among those attracting attention. The region’s claim to the position and calls for the appointment of the first female Secretary-General have featured prominently in discussions surrounding the succession.
Sall’s withdrawal also narrows Africa’s options in a contest that has once again highlighted the difficulty of translating the continent’s diplomatic influence and numerical strength within the UN membership into leadership of the organisation.
Despite the setback, the former Senegalese president made clear that he intended to remain engaged in international affairs.
“I withdraw my candidacy, but remain fully committed to serving the ideals that inspired it: peace, security, economic and social development, international cooperation and dialogue between nations,” he stated.
He wished success to whoever eventually assumes the responsibilities of Secretary-General, without endorsing another candidate.
For Sall, the race may be over, but his closing message was as much about Africa’s place in the international system as it was about his own political ambitions. He leaves the contest convinced that the United Nations needs substantial reform and that Africa must continue pressing for a greater say in decisions shaping the world’s future.