Former Senegalese leader Sall's bid for UN top job in trouble after straw poll
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall's campaign for UN Secretary-General has faced a setback following a poor showing in the first informal straw poll. Rebecca Grynspan of Costa Rica is currently considered the frontrunner for the position.
Why it matters
The selection of the next UN Secretary-General is a major geopolitical process that influences international diplomacy and organizational priorities.
Macky Sall’s bid to succeed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres could be in trouble after the Security Council’s first informal straw poll.
The former President of Senegal received just six votes in favour, with seven against and two abstentions.
The poll isn’t binding and several other rounds will take place before the final ballot in the autumn.
Sall finally secured his own country’s support for the job last month after Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye endorsed his candidacy.
The country’s ruling Pastef party however still holds Sall responsible for the deaths of 80 people dead during protests in 2021 and 2023.
Ugandan politician and former UN Deputy Secretary-General Olara Otunnu entered the race at the last minute. He secured just two votes in favour, five against and eight abstentions.
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