Ex-Senegalese president Macky Sall withdraws from UN secretary-general race

Ex-Senegalese president Macky Sall withdraws from UN secretary-general race - Senegal's former President Macky Sall. (Photo: REUTERS/Johanna Geron)

He also thanked the Security Council members who supported his candidacy, his campaign team and the Senegalese people, as well as political, civil society, religious and traditional leaders who backed his bid.

Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has withdrawn his candidacy for United Nations Secretary-General following an informal Security Council vote that showed him trailing other contenders seeking to succeed António Guterres.

Sall announced the decision on Saturday, a day after the council's sixth informal poll, following consultations with Burundi's President Évariste Ndayishimiye and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

Ndayishimiye, who chairs the African Union, sponsored Sall's candidacy, while Faye, the chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), supported his bid.

“I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for that post,” Sall said in his statement.

He also thanked the Security Council members who supported his candidacy, his campaign team and the Senegalese people, as well as political, civil society, religious and traditional leaders who backed his bid.

Despite leaving the race, the former president said he remained committed to the principles behind his campaign, including peace, security, economic and social development, international cooperation and dialogue among nations.

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He also called for a greater African role in global governance, arguing that the continent remained central to international efforts to address peace, security and development challenges.

“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.

Sall withdrew a day after the Security Council held an informal poll to gauge support for the candidates, asking members to mark each contender as “encourage”, “discourage” or “no opinion”. He received five votes encouraging his candidacy and 10 discouraging it among the Security Council's 15 members.

Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan received the highest number of encouragement votes, with nine, followed by Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Argentina's Rafael Grossi, who each received eight. The other candidates in the poll were Uganda's Olara Otunnu, Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa and Ecuador's Ivonne A-Baki.

The results showed that none of the seven candidates had overcome opposition from the council's five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Each candidate received at least two discouragement votes from those powers, which can veto a recommendation for the post.

Guterres' term ends on December 31. His successor must be recommended by the Security Council before being appointed by the UN General Assembly. The council needs at least nine affirmative votes for its recommendation, with no veto from any of its five permanent members.