Gambiaj.com – (ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia) – Former Senegalese president Macky Sall has failed to secure a unified endorsement from the African Union for his candidacy as Secretary-General of the United Nations after a significant number of member states disrupted a consensus procedure intended to rally continental support behind him.
In a note verbale issued on 27 March 2026, the AU Commission announced that a draft decision by the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of State and Government to back Sall’s candidacy was not adopted.
The proposal collapsed after 20 of the bloc’s 55 member states interrupted the AU’s “silence procedure,” a diplomatic mechanism used to approve decisions when no member state raises objections within a specified timeframe.
Of the 20 states that halted the process, 14 formally objected to the proposed endorsement, while six others requested an extension of the deadline for the silence procedure without explicitly opposing the decision.
The silence procedure is commonly used within the AU to secure collective positions on international appointments. However, any objection from member states effectively blocks consensus, preventing the organization from issuing a unified endorsement.
Divisions Within The AU
35 AU member states did not object to the draft decision or request additional time, suggesting that a majority of countries were not opposed to his candidacy.
Two countries have since revised their positions. Egypt, which had initially asked for more time, withdrew its request for an extension, while Liberia removed its formal objection to the proposal.
Despite these changes, opposition remained substantial enough to prevent consensus. Thirteen countries have maintained their objections, while five others continue to seek an extension of the silence procedure, leaving the AU unable to formally endorse Sall.
Candidacy Remains In Place
Although the AU has not rallied behind him as a unified candidate, Sall’s campaign said his bid remains valid. The former Senegalese leader formally submitted his candidacy on 2 March 2026, and it has been duly registered in the race to succeed outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Without a consolidated African position, however, Sall’s campaign faces a more complex diplomatic landscape, as the absence of a continent-wide endorsement could weaken efforts to present a single African candidate in the global contest for the UN’s top post.
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