Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has announced that he will make a brief visit to Dakar on Friday, July 17, 2026, to meet with his successor, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
This highly anticipated audience marks the first official, face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Sall handed over power in April 2024. The visit is a strategic milestone in the intensive diplomatic campaign Sall is conducting across global capitals to build momentum for his candidacy to become the next United Nations Secretary-General.
The race to succeed António Guterres, whose second term concludes on December 31, 2026, has entered a critical phase. Securing the formal backing of his home country is widely seen as a crucial step for Sall’s diplomatic machinery as he seeks to win the support of the fifteen members of the UN Security Council.
Making the announcement on his social media platforms, Sall confirmed the upcoming talks and expressed his sincere thanks to President Faye for granting the meeting. The former head of state also shared his gratitude toward the Senegalese public, as well as religious and traditional leaders, for their ongoing prayers, warm encouragement, and support since he launched his international bid.
Due to an exceptionally demanding international schedule, Sall noted that this trip to Dakar will be very brief. He plans to depart Senegal immediately after his meeting with the President to continue his global consultations. However, Sall promised to return to the country at a later date for a dedicated visit with his political party supporters and sympathizers to thank them in person.
This upcoming meeting follows weeks of active lobbying by Sall. On June 29, 2026, Sall traveled to Beijing to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He then held discussions in Athens on July 2, 2026, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis to discuss the future of multilateralism. Shortly after, on July 6, 2026, Sall conducted high-level meetings in New York with key permanent representatives to the UN, including US Ambassador Michael Waltz, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong, and French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont.
The successful nominee for the UN’s top job must navigate a complex selection process, requiring a recommendation from the Security Council—where they must avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members—before being confirmed by the General Assembly. Sall is currently one of six official candidates in the running, alongside former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan, former UN General Assembly President María Fernanda Espinosa, and former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.
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