Senegal has officially endorsed the United Nations candidacy of its former president Macky Sall, marking a significant shift in its position just days after a meeting in Dakar between the former leader and current president Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

The West African nation had previously declined to support Sall’s bid for the UN secretary-general role, which was instead submitted by Burundi under its current African Union presidency. Senegalese officials had not previously indicated support for the former president’s candidacy.

This reversal comes after Sall’s brief return to Dakar last week, where he was greeted by thousands of supporters. His visit drew criticism from opponents demanding investigations into dozens of deaths during his administration.

In late March, over twenty African Union member states, including Senegal, had rejected Sall’s bid to replace outgoing UN chief Antonio Guterres. The decision followed allegations that Sall’s government had violently suppressed opposition protests between 2021 and 2024, resulting in multiple fatalities.

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