A planned meeting between Senegal’s current President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his predecessor Macky Sall has ignited sharp controversy across the country. Sall, who left office in April 2024 after 12 years in power, is expected in Dakar to seek Senegal’s endorsement for his candidacy to become the next United Nations Secretary-General.

A visit that stirs painful memories

For families of victims from the deadly 2021-2024 protest crackdowns, Sall’s return to Senegal reopens deep wounds. Seydi Gassama, who represents 67 families in legal proceedings against the state, voices the outrage many feel: “It’s not that Macky Sall is returning to Senegal that shocks us—he remains a citizen with every right to visit. What stuns us is that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, despite his promises, has yet to deliver justice for the victims of Sall’s regime. No trials, no meaningful reparations—just silence. And now he’s preparing to receive Sall in a show of support for his UN ambitions. This is simply unacceptable. Sall bears heavy responsibility for the suffering that occurred.”

Broken campaign promises

During his 2024 election campaign, Bassirou Diomaye Faye vowed to prioritize justice for victims of state violence. Yet more than two years into his presidency, no prosecutions have materialized and compensation remains minimal—frustrating the very groups he once championed.

Human rights organizations have also condemned the president’s inaction. Gassama argues that Sall’s troubled legacy makes him unfit for the UN’s top role: “His past record is incompatible with leading the world’s foremost human rights body.”

A potential shift in Senegal’s political landscape

Political analyst Assane Samb believes the upcoming meeting could reshape both national reconciliation efforts and Senegal’s political dynamics. “President Faye has distanced himself from his original party, Pastef, and is now forming his own political movement,” Samb explains. “This meeting may signal an emerging alliance between Faye’s new party and traditional opposition groups, creating a united front against Pastef’s still-substantial influence.”

Pastef’s silence amid growing tensions

As of now, neither the Senegalese presidency nor Pastef—led by opposition figure Ousmane Sonko—has issued an official statement regarding Sall’s announced visit. This would mark Sall’s first return to Senegal since departing office after a decade in power.

Remarkably, Sall’s UN candidacy wasn’t put forward by his own government but by Burundi, which currently holds the rotating African Union presidency. In late March, over twenty African Union member states—including Senegal—rejected Sall’s bid to replace António Guterres as UN Secretary-General.