UN: Macky Sall withdraws his candidacy for Secretary-General, Africa loses its most prominent contender

Former Senegalese President Macky Sall withdrew his candidacy for the position of United Nations Secretary-General on October 17, 2026, from Marrakech, the day after a straw poll held by the Security Council on October 16. He justified his decision by a desire to "thereby contribute to the emergence of a consensus candidacy," according to the text published on his campaign website.

The October 16 vote was held behind closed doors. The fifteen members of the Council assigned each candidate the mention "encourage," "discourage," or "no opinion." For the first time, the votes of the five permanent members were clearly distinguished—a change in method that made the blockages visible.

No favorite, seven candidates stalled

All seven candidates received at least one "discourage" from a permanent member, which in practice is equivalent to a veto, without yet having the formal scope. Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, 70, former head of UNCTAD, leads with 9 "encourage" and 5 "discourage" votes, including 2 from permanent members. Argentine Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, follows with 8 "encourage" and 6 "discourage" votes, including 2 from permanent members. The Senegalese media outlet Pulse.sn reports 5 favorable and 10 unfavorable opinions for Macky Sall, a figure that other sources do not confirm. During the first test vote on July 30, 2026, Rebeca Grynspan was already in first place and Macky Sall in fifth.

In his text, Macky Sall believes that the test votes point toward a Latin American or Caribbean candidacy, possibly a female one. He stated that he made his decision after discussions with Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the current chair of the African Union, and with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the current chair of ECOWAS—his two institutional sponsors.

What the continent loses, and what remains open

The candidacy carried a long-standing demand: that Africa should have influence over the leadership of the organization that handles the majority of its crises. According to Afrik-Inform, Macky Sall argued that the continent should continue to count in global governance and advocated for a transformation of the UN's working methods. Ugandan Olara Otunnu remains in the running, alongside Ecuadorians María Fernanda Espinosa and Ivonne A-Baki and Guyanese Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, according to Yeclo.

The procedure is not closed. The Security Council must recommend a name that the General Assembly then appoints; the October 16 vote did not produce any recommendation, and new candidacies can still be declared. No date for the next vote has been announced. For African capitals, the withdrawal shifts the question: it is no longer about winning this race, but about how long the continent will accept being consulted without being heard.