The African Union (AU) has expressed support for various African candidates seeking leadership positions in international institutions, though it has yet to formally endorse any contender for the United Nations Secretary-General post.

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, called on member states to unite behind their candidates as they pursue elections to global bodies. This comes as Uganda’s Olara Otunnu and former Senegalese President Macky Sall compete for the UN Secretary-General role, a position currently held by António Guterres.

UN Secretary-General Race Divides Opinion

Otunnu, who entered the race late, has faced mixed reactions within the UN Security Council, the key body responsible for recommending the Secretary-General. Recent informal straw polls revealed a majority of Council members remain undecided on his candidacy, with eight of 15 members expressing no opinion, two encouraging, and five discouraging his bid.

Meanwhile, Macky Sall’s support within the Council appears similarly divided, with six members encouraging and seven discouraging his candidacy. The AU has not formally backed either candidate, partly due to an earlier continental agreement to support a candidate from the Latin America and Caribbean regions, which complicates the African bids.

African Union’s Broader Support for Candidates

Beyond the Secretary-General contest, the AU has endorsed several African nominees for other significant international roles:

  • Josefa Sacko, Angolan Ambassador to Italy and former AU Commissioner, for Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • Justice Njoki Ndung’u of Kenya for a judicial position at the International Criminal Court (ICC)
  • Prof Phoebe Okowa of Kenya for re-election to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
  • Other candidates from Gambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, and Tanzania for various international judicial and diplomatic posts

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, praised the AU’s coordinated approach, emphasizing that African candidates’ growing success in global elections reflects the power of unity and collective action.

Challenges in Endorsing UN Secretary-General Candidates

The AU faces a delicate balance: endorsing a candidate risks alienating others and disrupting regional rotation traditions, which generally encourage different geographic areas to take turns holding the UN’s top diplomatic post. East African Community members, except Burundi, reportedly back Otunnu but have not declared this publicly.

While regional endorsement is not mandatory for candidacy, it provides crucial support. Otunnu’s formal nomination by Uganda has officially added him to the list of seven contenders vying to succeed Guterres, which also includes candidates from Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Guyana.

The AU’s reticence to endorse a Secretary-General candidate contrasts with its clear backing of other African nominees, highlighting the complexity of navigating regional interests and global diplomatic norms.