Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has withdrawn his candidacy to become the next United Nations secretary-general, following an informal vote by the UN Security Council that left all seven contenders facing opposition from at least one of the council’s five permanent members.
Sall announced his decision on Saturday, saying he hoped to help pave the way for a consensus candidate to succeed outgoing Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026.
In a statement posted on social media, Sall said the results of the latest informal vote, held on Friday, and consultations with Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had informed his decision.
He also pointed to indications that the selection process could favour a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, potentially a woman, according to media reports.
The withdrawal came after the Security Council’s latest straw poll failed to produce a clear front-runner. All seven candidates received at least one “discourage” vote from a permanent member, effectively signalling opposition that could block their appointment.
Under the selection process, a candidate must secure at least nine votes in the 15-member Security Council and avoid a veto from any of its five permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The council then recommends a candidate to the UN General Assembly for appointment.
Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan emerged with the strongest support in Friday’s poll, receiving seven “encourage” votes. However, she also received five “discourage” votes, including two from permanent members, leaving her candidacy facing significant hurdles.
Sall had secured six votes in favour, seven against and two abstentions in an earlier informal poll in July. The latest results further complicated his bid to lead the international organisation.
His candidacy had also faced questions over Senegal’s initial reluctance to support him. Burundi nominated Sall, while Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye later backed his bid following a meeting with the former president in July.
Sall, who led Senegal from 2012 to 2024, was the only African among the initial group of candidates auditioning for the position. His withdrawal leaves Uganda’s former diplomat Olara Otunnu as the only African contender in the race.
The selection process is unfolding amid calls for the UN’s top post to rotate to Latin America and the Caribbean, in keeping with an informal regional rotation tradition. The next secretary-general will take office in January 2027.
