Controversial return of ex-president Macky Sall divides Senegal

Ex-President Macky Sall will touch down at Yoff military airport in Dakar on Friday, marking his first visit to Senegal since his 2024 electoral defeat. The visit includes a planned meeting with his successor, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye – a development that has sent shockwaves through the country. The timing and nature of Sall’s return have left many questioning the state of Senegalese politics.

Reopening old wounds

The announcement comes as a bitter reminder of recent history. Just months before the 2024 elections, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was imprisoned at Cap Manuel prison along with hundreds of supporters of his Pastef party. The crackdown extended to families: Aly Coly, a Pastef activist, recalls how his wife and three-month-old baby were jailed simply for wearing the party’s colors. “They locked up my entire family for standing up for Bassirou and Ousmane. And now I watch my president welcome the man who ordered it all,” he says, his voice trembling with frustration.

Political repression and unanswered questions

Official records show over a thousand political detainees during that period, many incarcerated for minor acts of support. At least 65 people died in clashes between 2021 and 2024. The families of victims and former detainees say justice has never been served. “No investigations, no accountability. Sall returns as if nothing happened. That’s the old corrupt system coming back,” Aly insists.

A UN candidacy tied to Senegal

Sall isn’t visiting empty-handed. He confirmed in a statement that his brief trip is “linked to my candidacy for UN Secretary-General,” a role he pitched to the UN General Assembly in April as a champion of multilateralism. Yet his bid has stalled, failing to secure backing from the African Union or Senegal itself. A meeting with President Faye could change that calculus.

Strategic interests at play

Political analyst Maurice Soundieck Dione sees mutual benefits. “For President Faye, aligning with Sall could strengthen his position amid growing tensions with Ousmane Sonko, who dominates parliament and has publicly challenged his leadership,” he explains. Sonko, once Faye’s mentor, now appears to be a rival, making Sall a potential ally.

But the move risks alienating Faye’s base. Critics accuse him of betraying Sonko and reverting to the “corrupt old guard.” Soundieck Dione notes, “In Senegal, turning your back on your mentor is culturally unacceptable. It undermines trust.”

Whether Friday’s meeting signals a new political alignment or further division remains unclear. What is certain is that the return of Macky Sall has reignited old wounds and raised fresh questions about Senegal’s democratic future.