The African Union (AU) has rejected a draft decision to endorse former Senegalese president Macky Sall as a candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, underscoring the bloc’s commitment to established procedures for selecting candidates for international posts.
The AU announced on 27 March that 20 of its 55 member states either objected to or requested an extension of the 24-hour deadline for the draft decision. The initiative, submitted by Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, bypassed standard AU protocols, which require candidacies to be formally reviewed by the Committee of Permanent Representatives, the Ministerial Committee, and the Executive Council before reaching heads of state.
Sall’s name was not included in the list of African candidates presented at the February AU summit, nor was it discussed by leaders. His candidacy was instead advanced through a “silence procedure”—a mechanism typically reserved for routine administrative matters—setting a one-third threshold of eligible member states. This departure from standard practice prompted objections from countries including Algeria, South Africa, Liberia, Nigeria, and Rwanda, while others such as Egypt sought more time for consultation.
The objections centred on procedural grounds, with several states arguing that the silence procedure was inappropriate for a substantive political decision. The short timeframe and departure from the norm—where even a single objection can halt a decision—raised concerns about transparency and inclusivity. Some states also cited the UN’s informal regional rotation principle, which favours Latin American and Caribbean candidates to succeed António Guterres.
Sall’s candidacy was further complicated by the absence of formal backing from Senegal, where his domestic record remains contested. While he has a high diplomatic profile—having served as AU chair in 2022 and advocated for greater African representation in global governance—his final term (2019-2024) was marked by political tensions and judicial controversies.
The rejection of the draft decision has been interpreted not as a sign of African disunity but as a demonstration of the AU’s ability to uphold its governance standards. By preventing an end-run around established procedures, the AU has reinforced the integrity of its multilateralism and the role of the Ministerial Committee in advancing African candidacies.
At a time when multilateral institutions face mounting pressures, the episode highlights the resilience of the AU’s internal mechanisms and the commitment of its member states to collective decision-making. The outcome preserves the bloc’s credibility and sets a precedent for future endorsements of African candidates for international positions.
