The Gambia joined 34 other members of the African Union in not opposing former Senegalese president Macky Sall’s candidature for the post of secretary general of the United Nations while his native Senegal and 19 others raised objections.
On Friday, the AU published a note verbale announcing that the draft decision submitted by the Bureau of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union on support for the candidacy of President Macky Sall for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations was not adopted due to the breach of the silence procedure by 20 of the organisations 55 member states.
The silence procedure is a decision-making mechanism employed in international organisations under which a draft decision is circulated to member states and automatically adopted if no formal objections are raised within a designated timeframe.
Fourteen of the members raised an objection and six requested an extension of the silent procedure period, without objecting to the draft decision.
Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, Eritrea, Seychelles, Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Algeria, Rwanda, Libya, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Egypt, Uganda, Liberia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Tunisia were among the countries that did not express support for Sall.
A spokesman for Sall yesterday announced that Egypt requested an extension of the silent procedure and Liberia has withdrawn its objection.
The spokesman said Macky Sall’s candidacy, duly submitted and registered on 2nd March, 2026, remains valid.
