MOSCOW: Former Senegalese President Macky Sall announced on Saturday that he was withdrawing his candidacy for the post of United Nations (UN) secretary-general, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.
"I have made this decision out of a sense of responsibility, in the hope that it will facilitate the emergence of a consensus candidate within the Security Council," Sall said in a written statement.
He said the decision followed consultations with other African leaders.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres' second and final term ends on Dec. 31, 2026.
The remaining candidates for the post include Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana; Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica; Rafael Grossi of Argentina; María Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador Olara Otunnu of Uganda and Ivonne A-Baki of Ecuador, according to the UN's official list of nominations.
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