Former Senegalese president Macky Sall has withdrawn his candidacy for the position of United Nations Secretary General. Following an informal vote by the UN Security Council on October 16, Sall announced his decision in a statement dated October 17 in Marrakech, Morocco, saying he hoped his withdrawal would help pave the way for a consensus candidate. The former president said the decision followed consultations with Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the current chairperson of the African Union, and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who chairs the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). “I took this decision with a deep sense of responsibility, hoping thereby to contribute to the emergence of a consensus candidacy within the Security Council,” Sall said in a statement. ALSO READ: Macky Sall pledges to restore trust in UN if elected as Secretary He noted that the results of the informal voting rounds since the beginning of the selection process had indicated support for a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, potentially a woman. Sall said his candidacy had been motivated primarily by a desire to bring nearly 40 years of public service experience to the United Nations. He expressed gratitude to Security Council members who had voted in his favour throughout the process and to his campaign team. ALSO READ: Michelle Bachelet withdraws from race to become next UN chief Despite withdrawing from the contest, Sall said he remained committed to the principles that had inspired his bid, including peace, security, economic and social development, international cooperation, and dialogue among nations. He also called for profound changes to the United Nations. “Africa, which is at the heart of peace, security and development issues, must also continue to make its voice heard and pursue its efforts to occupy the place that is rightfully hers in global governance,” he said. Sall’s withdrawal comes as the Security Council continues the selection process for the successor to outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term ends on December 31, 2026. In the sixth informal Security Council straw poll, seven candidates remained in the race to succeed Guterres as UN secretary-general. Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica received nine “encourage” votes, five “discourage” votes, and one “no opinion” vote, placing her at the top of the tally. Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, each received eight “encourage” votes, six “discourage” votes, and one “no opinion” vote. Sall and Uganda’s Olara Otunnu each received 10 “discourage” votes. The other candidates were Ecuadorian María Fernanda Espinosa and Ivonne A-Baki. None of the seven candidates had secured the support of all five permanent members of the Security Council, each of which holds veto power. Sall’s withdrawal leaves six candidates in the race, unless new nominees enter the contest. Sall, who served as Senegal’s president from 2012 to 2024, was nominated by Burundi in March 2026.
