Gambiaj.com – (PARIS, France) – Former Senegalese president Macky Sall has held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace as he continues his campaign to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The meeting, which took place on Tuesday, June 2, was disclosed by Sall himself through social media, where he shared a photograph of the two leaders shaking hands on the grand staircase of the Élysée. The encounter had not appeared on Macron’s official schedule.
In a message posted in both French and English, Sall expressed appreciation for the meeting, saying he was grateful to Macron for the “warm welcome” and their “fruitful discussions.”
The former Senegalese leader said both men shared a vision for “an ambitious, reformed, and revitalized United Nations” capable of improving its effectiveness, representativeness, and ability to respond to the expectations of peoples and states.
The meeting comes as Sall intensifies his international campaign for the UN’s top post. During a hearing before the UN General Assembly in April, he outlined a reform agenda built around three principles: rationalization, simplification, and optimization of the organization’s operations.
Although the Élysée has not issued any statement regarding the discussions or indicated whether France intends to support Sall’s candidacy, the meeting underscores the cordial relationship that has existed between Macron and the former Senegalese president.
Campaign Without Dakar’s Endorsement
Sall’s bid for the UN leadership continues without the official backing of Senegal.
In May, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said his government had adopted a neutral position regarding the candidacy. He noted that Dakar had not been involved in the initiative from the outset and had not been consulted by Sall before the launch of his campaign.
“We have not been involved from the beginning, not even by the interested party, Macky Sall,” Faye said at the time.
The absence of formal support from Senegal has not prevented Sall from seeking backing from international partners as the race to succeed António Guterres gathers momentum.
Reactions in Senegal
News of the meeting generated significant discussion in Senegal, particularly among supporters of the former president.
Among those reacting was Néné Tall, a senior member of Sall’s former ruling party, the Alliance for the Republic (APR), who shared the photograph online with the comment: “Meanwhile, great men are discussing the future of the world.”
Several Senegalese media outlets also highlighted the significance of the meeting, viewing Paris’ goodwill toward Sall as a potentially valuable asset in the competition for the UN’s highest office.
The next UN Secretary-General is expected to be elected later this year and will assume office on January 1, 2027, succeeding Guterres at the end of his term.
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