Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, SENEGAL). Amnesty International Senegal Executive Director Seydi Gassama has linked former Senegalese President Macky Sall’s withdrawal from the race for United Nations secretary-general to what he described as a poor record on human rights and democratic and financial governance.
Gassama said Sall’s record in office constituted a major obstacle to his international ambitions, arguing that diplomatic backing and resources mobilized in support of his candidacy could not overcome what he called a “catastrophic” legacy.
In comments reported by Flash24 on Saturday, October 17, Gassama made a pointed reference to the treatment of political opponents during Sall’s presidency.
“For once, he could not use the justice system to eliminate the other candidates,” Gassama said.
Rights Record Under Scrutiny
The Amnesty official said Sall could not have been unaware of the obstacles facing his candidacy, both diplomatically and because of the controversies surrounding his record in Senegal.
Gassama also criticized countries that backed Sall’s bid despite allegations and controversies linked to his administration. He said the mobilization of victims of the former regime and their supporters had helped bring allegations of human rights violations and concerns over economic and financial governance to international attention.
According to Gassama, these efforts contributed to greater scrutiny of Sall’s record as he sought one of the United Nations’ highest offices.
He also argued that Sall could not expect automatic backing from the African Union, citing the principle of regional rotation in the allocation of major international positions. Africa has previously held the UN secretary-generalship through Egypt’s Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Ghana’s Kofi Annan.
A Warning To African Leaders
Gassama said Sall’s withdrawal should serve as a broader warning to African leaders seeking senior international positions after leaving office.
He argued that human rights violations, the persecution of political opponents and failures in democratic and financial governance could eventually undermine former leaders’ international ambitions.
Sall announced his withdrawal from the UN secretary-general race on Saturday, one day after an informal vote by the Security Council on October 16.
In announcing his decision, Sall said the consultation had indicated a preference for a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, potentially a woman.
He also said he had consulted Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the current chair of the African Union, and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who holds the rotating presidency of the Economic Community of West African States.
Sall said his decision was aimed at helping facilitate the emergence of a consensus candidate within the Security Council.
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