Former Senegalese President Macky Sall will return to Senegal on 17 July 2026 for the first time since leaving office two years ago, in a short visit aimed at securing his country’s support for his candidacy to become the next United Nations Secretary-General. Sall, who led Senegal from 2012 to 2024, announced the visit in a statement shared on social media, describing it as part of a series of “consultations” and meetings linked to his UN candidacy.
His only scheduled engagement in Dakar will be a meeting with his successor, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, whom he thanked for agreeing to receive him. The visit is expected to last only a few hours. According to members of Sall’s political camp, he will arrive at 3 p.m. by private plane at Dakar’s former airport in Yoff and leave around 6 p.m.
Seeking Senegal’s official backing
The main objective of the visit is to obtain official support from Dakar, which has so far remained silent on Sall’s bid and previously distanced itself from the initiative. In March, Sall failed to secure the backing of the African Union for his candidacy after 20 countries, including Senegal, opposed the move. In a note sent to the AU Commission, Dakar stated that it had neither supported nor initiated Sall’s candidacy and had not been involved in the process. Earlier, on 5 February, Macky Sall had formally requested Senegal’s support through a letter to the authorities, but received no response.
A symbolic political meeting
The meeting between Sall and Bassirou Diomaye Faye carries strong political significance after two years of strained relations between the former president and the current ruling camp. The tensions were fuelled by several disputes, including the so-called “hidden debt” case and the crackdown on supporters of the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (Pastef) during Sall’s presidency, which left at least 65 people dead between 2021 and 2023.
The Collective of Victims of the Macky Sall regime has called for justice and warned that the former president’s international ambitions should not overshadow demands for accountability. The group is calling for “full light” to be shed on alleged violence, arrests, detentions and suffering experienced by hundreds of families during Sall’s time in power.
UN succession process underway
The selection process for the next UN Secretary-General is already underway as António Guterres’ second term ends on 31 December 2026. The new Secretary-General is expected to take office in January 2027 for a five-year term, renewable once by member states.
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