Senegal’s Macky Sall Withdraws from UN Secretary-General Race
Senegal's former president Macky Sall has withdrawn from the race to become the next UN Secretary-General. The announcement follows an informal Security Council straw poll in which all seven candidates received at least one veto. Sall's withdrawal leaves Uganda's Olara Otunnu as the only African contender for the role.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1)
Senegal’s former president Macky Sall announced on Saturday that he is withdrawing from the race to lead the United Nations.
The decision comes after an informal straw poll by the UN Security Council members on Friday saw all seven candidates, including Sall, receive at least one veto from the Council’s five permanent members.
Sall expressed hope to support the emergence of a consensus candidate going forward. Candidates need nine ‘encourage’ votes from the 15 Council members to advance, while any ‘discourage’ vote from a permanent member acts as a veto.
Earlier polls showed Sall receiving limited support, with only six votes in favour in July and multiple vetoes in the recent straw poll.
Senegal initially did not back Sall’s bid, and he was nominated by Burundi. However, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye later endorsed him after a July meeting.
Traditionally, the UN Secretary-General role rotates among regions, and this cycle favors a candidate from Latin America, where most candidates are from.
With Sall’s withdrawal, Uganda’s Olara Otunnu remains the sole African candidate in the contest.