Senegal's President Faye Endorses Macky Sall's UN Secretary-General Bid

• Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye gave his backing to former President Macky Sall's campaign for the UN's top job
• Faye instructed his government to fully mobilise support for Sall despite their strained political relationship
• Sall is one of five candidates competing to succeed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres when his term ends on December 31

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Senegal's foreign ministry announced on Monday that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has thrown his weight behind former President Macky Sall's bid to become the next United Nations secretary-general, delivering a significant endorsement from the candidate's home country.

The decision came after Faye met with Sall on Friday. Following that meeting, Faye directed his government to "fully mobilise" support for the former leader, declaring that the campaign "is now Senegal's candidacy in the service of Africa."

According to Reuters, Sall led Senegal from 2012 to 2024 and is among five candidates vying to replace UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose current term expires on December 31. Burundi, which holds the African Union's rotating presidency, formally nominated Sall for the role. Until Monday, however, Senegal had stopped short of publicly backing him.

Endorsement despite political tensions

The move carries considerable weight given how fraught relations between the two leaders have become. Faye's administration has repeatedly accused Sall's government of financial mismanagement and political repression during his time in office, allegations Sall has denied.

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Sall's final months in power were particularly turbulent. His attempt to delay the 2024 presidential election sparked deadly protests across the country and was ultimately overturned by Senegal's Constitutional Council. Faye won that election and took office in April 2024, but ties between the two sides have remained tense ever since.

Despite that backdrop, Faye chose to set aside domestic grievances and offer his predecessor the crucial home-country support his UN campaign needed. The foreign ministry described Sall's bid as a cause that now belongs to the whole of Senegal, framing it as a matter of continental interest rather than personal politics.

UN staff donate blood to mark World Blood Donor Day

Legit.ng earlier reported that at the United Nations (UN) offices in Abuja, staff members quietly lined up to donate blood during the annual drive organised by the United Nations Clinic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Blood Service Commission.

The event, held to mark World Blood Donor Day, was more than routine, it was a deliberate act of leadership. The act of giving blood takes less than 15 minutes, yet its impact can last a lifetime. One unit of blood can help save up to three lives. This year, 23 units were collected, potentially supporting patients such as women with childbirth complications, children with severe anaemia and victims of road traffic crashes.