Senegal’s former President Macky Sall has withdrawn his candidacy for United Nations Secretary-General, following an informal poll by the UN Security Council in which all seven candidates received at least one veto.
Sall announced his decision on Saturday, a day after the Council’s 15 members conducted the straw poll to assess support for the candidates seeking to succeed the current UN chief.
In a statement posted on social media, Sall said he hoped to contribute to the emergence of a consensus candidate.
Candidates need at least nine votes of support from the 15-member Security Council to advance, while opposition from any of its five permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — can block a candidate.
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In an earlier straw poll held in July, Sall received six votes in favour, seven against and two abstentions.
Although the polls are not binding, further rounds are expected before the final selection process later in the year.
Following Friday’s poll, Costa Rica’s Rebecca Grynspan emerged as the leading candidate, with seven votes of support. However, she also received five votes against her candidacy, including two from permanent members of the Council.
Senegal initially declined to endorse Sall’s bid, and Burundi nominated him for the position. However, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye backed Sall in July following a meeting between the two leaders.
The UN secretary-generalship traditionally rotates among the world’s regions, with Latin America widely expected to be considered for the position in the current selection cycle. Most of the seven candidates were from the region.
Sall’s withdrawal leaves Uganda’s Olara Otunnu as the only African candidate remaining in the race.
Africanews
