The upcoming meeting between Senegalese president Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his predecessor Macky Sall in Dakar has sparked controversy. Sall’s visit aims to secure Senegal’s backing for his bid for the United Nations Secretary-General position.

A meeting that reopens old wounds

For families of victims from the 2021-2024 protests, Sall’s return stirs painful memories. Seydi Gassama, who supports 67 presumed victims in their legal cases, argues the meeting sends a damaging signal.

“It’s not Macky Sall’s right to return to Senegal that shocks us, explains the director of Amnesty International Sénégal, he’s a citizen with every right to be here. What shocks us is that since taking office, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has taken no action to deliver justice for the regime’s victims. No justice has been served, and now he’s welcoming Sall to support his UN candidacy. We find this utterly unacceptable. Macky Sall bears heavy responsibility for what occurred.”

Broken campaign promises

During his campaign, Bassirou Diomaye Faye vowed to prioritize justice for victims. Yet over two years into his presidency, no trials have been held and compensation remains minimal—a disappointment for victims’ groups.

Human rights organizations also criticize the lack of progress. Seydi Gassama insists Sall’s past makes him unfit for a UN leadership role.

APR’s perspective

Leaders of the Alliance for the Republic (APR), Sall’s party, dismiss criticism from victims’ groups as exaggerated.

Political analyst Assane Samb warns the meeting could impact national reconciliation and Senegal’s political landscape.

“As President Diomaye Faye distances himself from his original political family, Pastef, and prepares to launch his own party, he notes, what comes next? They may seek to forge strategic alliances with traditional opposition parties, forming a united front against the still-influential Pastef.”

Pastef’s silence

Neither Senegal’s presidency nor Pastef, the party led by Ousmane Sonko, has commented on Sall’s announced visit.

This would mark Sall’s first return to Senegal since leaving office in April 2024. His UN Secretary-General candidacy was not endorsed by his home country but by Burundi, which currently holds the African Union’s rotating presidency.

In late March, over twenty African Union member states, including Senegal, rejected his bid to replace António Guterres.