Senegal has officially thrown its support behind former President Macky Sall's bid to become the next United Nations Secretary-General, marking a dramatic policy shift.

Welcomed as a victory by Macky Sall's supporters, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's decision to back his predecessor's bid for the post of United Nations Secretary-General marks a turning point after months of strained relations between the two men.