The African Union is backing Macky Sall as a potential successor to António Guterres, signalling a renewed push for African leadership at the United Nations.
Diplomats say the endorsement reflects a growing determination among African states to unite behind a single candidate, seeking to avoid past divisions that have weakened the continent’s influence in global appointments. The effort also aligns with long-standing calls for regional balance in the leadership of international institutions.
Macky Sall is regarded by supporters as an experienced statesman with strong multilateral credentials. During his tenure, he chaired the African Union and played an active role in global diplomacy, positioning himself as a bridge between Africa and major powers.
The process to appoint the next UN secretary-general remains highly political, with the final decision resting with the UN Security Council, where veto powers can prove decisive. Even so, analysts suggest that a unified African candidacy could carry considerable weight.
If elected, Sall would become the third African to lead the United Nations, following Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who served from 1992 to 1996 as the first African and Arab to hold the post, and Kofi Annan, who led the organisation from 1997 to 2006 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.
After leaving the UN, Boutros-Ghali went on to head the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, promoting cooperation among French-speaking nations. He died in 2016, while Annan, widely respected for his diplomatic leadership, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, and died in 2018.
Advocates argue that the time is ripe for Africa to once again assume the UN’s top role, pointing to the continent’s growing global significance and its central place in the organisation’s peacekeeping and development agenda.