With the contest to succeed outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres entering a decisive phase, the two African contenders — Senegal’s Macky Sall and Uganda’s Olara Otunnu — have yet to win enough support.
Analysts say Sall’s campaign has been hampered in part by the timing of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s endorsement. The late backing did little to rebuild “institutional coherence” as Senegal remains sharply divided over the former president’s legacy.
“This historic contribution is not enough, however, to offset his late entry into the race,” said Carlos Lopes, former Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
