Former Senegalese president Macky Sall has withdrawn his candidacy to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, following an informal vote by the UN Security Council that showed he lacked sufficient support for the position.
Sall announced his decision on Saturday, October 17, 2026, a day after the Council held its sixth informal poll as part of the selection process to replace António Guterres, whose term ends on December 31.
In a statement shared on social media, Sall said he hoped his withdrawal would help pave the way for a candidate capable of securing broader agreement within the Security Council.
The former Senegalese leader received five votes of encouragement and 10 votes against, according to reports on the latest ballot. The results indicated that his candidacy faced significant opposition among Council members.
Sall had been nominated by Burundi and supported by Senegal. His withdrawal followed consultations with Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who chairs the African Union, and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who chairs the Economic Community of West African States.
Sall also suggested that the voting trends appeared to favor a candidate from Latin America or the Caribbean, potentially a woman.
Among the leading contenders are Costa Rican diplomat Rebeca Grynspan, who has performed strongly in previous polls, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.
The selection process requires the Security Council to recommend a candidate to the UN General Assembly. The recommendation must secure at least nine votes from the Council’s 15 members and avoid a veto from any of its five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The latest ballot did not establish a clear consensus, with none of the seven candidates receiving unopposed support from all five permanent members.
Guterres is due to complete his second five-year term at the end of 2026. His successor is expected to take office on January 1, 2027.
Sall’s withdrawal removes one of the African candidates from the race as diplomatic consultations continue over who will lead the United Nations during the next five-year term.