Former Senegalese president rallys African support to succeed Guterres at the United Nations
Written by: Ayman Ragab
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall is undertaking a rapid and intensive tour across Africa as part of his campaign to succeed Antonio Guterres as the next Secretary-General of the United Nations.
After holding talks with his successor, Basiru Diomaye Faye, in Dakar, Senegal – as he sought to rally support for his bid to lead the world's largest organization – Sall made a brief visit to Banjul, Gambia, on Friday, where he held talks with President Adama Barrow at the presidential palace.
Uniting the ranks
The former Senegalese leader – a long-time ally of President Barrow – called on African nations, such as Gambia, to unite and support his cause, and to demonstrate continental unity in the face of global issues.
He said: “As Africans, we must work together and focus our efforts on the fundamental pillars of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development.”.
President Barrow assured Mr. Sall of Gambia's unconditional support for his efforts to lead the United Nations.
Sall was accompanied on his visits to Dakar and Banjul by the former president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
Sall, 65, faces stiff competition from three Latin American candidates: Michelle Bachelet (former Chilean president and former High Commissioner for Human Rights), Rafael Mariano Grossi (Argentine diplomat and current head of the International Atomic Energy Agency), and Rebecca Greenspan (former Costa Rican vice president and current president of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD).
It is worth noting that Sall, who led Senegal from 2012 to 2024, is the only candidate among the contenders who has never held a position at the United Nations.
