# Macky Sall Drops Out of Race to Lead the United Nations

> The former Senegalese president stepped aside after an informal Security Council vote pointed toward a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, saying he wants to help build consensus rather than prolong the contest.

- Source: African Economy
- Canonical URL: https://africaneconomy.net/article/macky-sall-withdraws-un-secretary-general-bid
- Author: African Economy Staff
- Section: Policy & Governance
- Published: 2026-10-21T09:55:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-21T09:55:00.000Z
- Tags: Macky Sall, United Nations, Senegal, African Union, diplomacy

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Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has pulled out of the race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General, days after an informal vote inside the Security Council failed to produce a frontrunner, according to a report by Guardian Nigeria. In a statement issued from Marrakech, Sall said the Council's consultations pointed toward support for a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, and that he was stepping aside in the interest of building consensus around the post rather than prolonging a contest he judged he was unlikely to win.

Sall said the decision followed conversations with African Union chair and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye and with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who currently chairs the Economic Community of West African States. Both leaders were informed before the withdrawal was made public.

The move ends, for now, one of the continent's most visible bids for the UN's top job, and leaves African governments weighing whether to rally behind a different candidate or cede the field as the Security Council's informal soundings continue to favor a nominee from outside the region.

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Originally published by African Economy. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://africaneconomy.net/article/macky-sall-withdraws-un-secretary-general-bid.