Madar (Dakar) - Former Senegalese president Macky Sall announced on Saturday, October 17, 2026, that he has withdrawn his candidacy for UN Secretary-General following the informal vote held in the Security Council on Friday, according to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS), citing a statement posted on his platforms.
"Following the informal vote of October 16 and after consultations with Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi and current chair of the African Union, and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal and current chair of ECOWAS, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations," he said.
He said he wanted to allow "the emergence of a consensus candidacy within the Security Council", noting that successive straw polls appeared to point towards a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, "and possibly a woman". He thanked the Burundian president, who sponsored his bid, the Senegalese president, who backed it, and the Council members who voted for him, and said he remains committed to peace, security, development and international cooperation.
Senegal officially announced its support for Sall's bid in July, while Mauritanian Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug said at the time that Sall had not asked for Mauritania's support.
