African Union nominates former Senegalese President Macky Sall for UN Secretary-General

The African Union (AU) on Monday formally submitted the candidacy of former Senegalese President Macky Sall for the post of UN Secretary-General, to succeed the current UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

UN General Assembly spokeswoman Ness Collins said in a statement to the press that the President of the General Assembly has received a new nomination.

It’s about Macky Sall, the former president of Senegal, as he was nominated by the Republic of Burundi, which currently holds the presidency of the African Union.

A source close to Sall commented about his candidacy by Burundi, saying it was important for him to adopt a continental approach.

He added that his struggle, especially when he assumed the presidency of the African Union during 2022-2023, was to convey Africa’s voice in international forums.

Before Macky Sall, there were two official candidates: former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and IAEA Director Rafael Grossi.

In the tradition of geographical rotation, the United Nations Secretariat is supposed to be in Latin America, but this tradition is often not respected.

Members of the UN Security Council are scheduled to begin the process of selecting a new UN Secretary-General at the end of next July, with Guterres’ successor to begin his term on January 1, 2027.

Last November, the United Nations sent a letter to member states to propose candidates for the post of secretary-general, and candidates can be nominated by a country or group of countries, not necessarily from their countries of origin.

Macky Sall was elected president of Senegal for two terms between 2012 and 2024 and holds advanced degrees in geology and petroleum and speaks French and English.

Sall is accused by the current Senegalese authorities of hiding debts estimated at $7 billion during his presidency, but he has previously denied this as a political maneuver.