Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has officially given the state’s support to the candidacy of his predecessor, Macky Sall, for the position of United Nations secretary-general, marking a significant shift in Dakar’s position after months of debate surrounding the bid.

Following a meeting held at the Presidential Palace, the head of state called on the government and Senegal’s entire diplomatic network to mobilize efforts to promote the former president’s candidacy among the 193 UN member states, according to a statement from Senegal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Macky Sall, who led Senegal from 2012 to 2024, presented his successor with an update on his diplomatic campaign to succeed UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026. Following their discussions, the former president described the meeting as “cordial and constructive,” saying it focused on major challenges facing multilateralism and the role of the United Nations in a world marked by multiple crises.

The meeting comes as part of a broader diplomatic campaign led by Macky Sall in recent months. The former president has held consultations with foreign leaders and United Nations representatives, including in China, The Gambia, Greece and at the UN headquarters in New York, as he seeks to build support for his candidacy.

Dakar’s official endorsement carries particular significance. Several months earlier, Macky Sall’s candidacy had sparked political debate in Senegal and did not receive backing from the African Union under its consensus-based selection process among member states. The lack of continental endorsement had raised questions over his prospects in the race to lead the international organization.

Macky Sall is currently among the six candidates officially competing to succeed António Guterres. Under the United Nations selection process, the next secretary-general will be chosen following consultations and indicative votes by the Security Council before the selected candidate is recommended to the General Assembly for approval.

If successful, Macky Sall would become the third African to hold the position of UN secretary-general, after Egypt’s Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Ghana’s Kofi Annan, at a time when several African countries are calling for stronger representation of the continent within major international institutions.