Politics & Governance
Macky Sall returns to Senegal for talks with successor on UN bid
Former Senegalese president Macky Sall met President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in Dakar on Friday during his first return to Senegal since leaving office in April 2024.
Sall, who led Senegal from 2012 to 2024, is campaigning to become the next United Nations secretary-general. The Senegalese presidency said after the meeting that Sall had come to update Faye on his candidacy and to seek support from his country. It said Sall promised to keep Faye regularly informed at each stage of the process.
More than 1,000 supporters welcomed Sall in the heat at a military airport in Dakar in the mid-afternoon. He greeted them from the top of a vehicle. Sall left Senegal shortly before 8:00 pm.
The visit drew criticism from opponents of the former president. The current government accuses Sall of violent political repression that caused dozens of deaths in his final years in office and of covering up unfavourable economic data. A collective denouncing the crackdown under Sall called the visit an incident and demanded answers over deaths during his time in power.
The meeting also caused controversy inside Faye's camp, which has been divided since he dismissed former prime minister Ousmane Sonko, once a close ally. Faye political adviser Alioune Ibnou Abitalib Sow resigned on Friday in protest at the visit. Sow wrote on X that Sall was responsible for a large part of the troubles Senegal is facing and said families were still waiting for the truth about deaths.
Sall, who has lived in Morocco since leaving Senegal, had said on Tuesday that he would travel to Dakar to meet Faye. Burundi, which holds the rotating African Union presidency, nominated him earlier this year for the UN secretary-general position.
Update
The Senegalese presidency said Sall came to update President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his candidacy for UN secretary-general and asked for Senegal's support.
More than 1,000 supporters welcomed Sall at a military airport in Dakar.
Sall left Senegal shortly before 8:00 pm local time and GMT.
Burundi, which holds the rotating African Union presidency, nominated Sall earlier this year for the UN secretary-general post.
Faye political adviser Alioune Ibnou Abitalib Sow resigned on Friday in protest at Sall's visit.
A collective denouncing repression under Sall described the visit as an incident and demanded answers about deaths during his tenure.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 01:58:42 UTC.
Update
Macky Sall held a meeting in Dakar with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
More than 1,000 supporters welcomed Sall at a military airport in Dakar, where he greeted them from atop a vehicle.
The Senegalese presidency did not respond to an AFP request for comment on the meeting.
One of Faye's political advisers, Alioune Ibnou Abitalib Sow, resigned in protest at Sall's visit.
Sow said on X that Sall was responsible for a large part of the country's troubles and said families were still waiting for the truth about deaths.
A collective denouncing the crackdown under Sall described his visit as an incident and demanded answers about deaths during his tenure.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 July 2026 at 19:24:19 UTC.
Update
Macky Sall arrived in Dakar on Friday for the meeting with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
More than 1,000 supporters welcomed him at a military airport in Dakar.
Crowds followed towards the presidential palace as he arrived for the visit.
Faye political adviser Alioune Ibnou Abitalib Sow resigned in protest at the visit.
The Senegalese presidency did not respond to AFP's request for comment about the meeting.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 July 2026 at 16:50:50 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The source reports accusations against Sall by the current government but does not report any legal finding on those accusations.
Source
AFP news report published on .