Macky Sall loses legal battle in Paris against site challenging his UN candidacy

Macky Sall had taken legal action in France against the site’s host and several technical intermediaries, as well as against Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, and Free. He specifically sought to prevent internet service providers from allowing users in France to access the site. The former head of state argued that the platform disseminated content damaging to his reputation and used his photograph without permission in a campaign questioning his ability to lead the United Nations.

The court rejected the argument that the entire site could be blocked due to damage to the candidate’s personal reputation. The characterization of him as “unfit” for the role of UN Secretary-General was deemed a critical value judgment. The allegations presented on the platform regarding violence, corruption, press freedom, or constitutional violations were found to be directed against institutions, security forces, or the Senegalese administration, rather than personally attributed to Macky Sall as a whole.

The court also dismissed the request related to the use of his image. It ruled that the candidacy of a former president for the UN leadership constitutes a matter of public interest, and the image used on the site directly illustrates this public debate. The judgment, rendered in first instance under expedited proceedings, specifies that each party will bear its own costs and that the ruling is provisionally enforceable.

This decision comes as Macky Sall’s candidacy remains at the center of a diplomatic and political battle. Initially submitted on March 2 by Burundi, it later received official backing from Dakar. On July 20, Senegal officially expressed its full support for his candidacy, following a meeting between Macky Sall and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The Senegalese government and diplomatic network have been called to mobilize in his favor.

The process of designating António Guterres’s successor continues in the Security Council before a nomination by the General Assembly. The current Secretary-General’s mandate ends on December 31, 2026. The Paris ruling does not comment on Macky Sall’s qualifications to lead the organization; it only addresses the request for blocking and the legal grievances raised against nonamacky.org.