A controversial push by Burundi, the current African Union chair, to endorse former Senegalese President Macky Sall for United Nations Secretary-General has collapsed after 20 AU member states broke the silence.

The AU Commission confirmed on March 27 that the draft decision was not adopted, saying that, "The draft decision to endorse a candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General was not adopted after 20 member states broke the silence procedure before the deadline.”

On March 3, the Permanent Representative of Burundi in New York informed the UN General Assembly that the government of Burundi, acting in its capacity as AU Chair, was nominating Macky Sall for the position of UN Secretary‑General — the top diplomatic role at the United Nations.

Under AU rules, the endorsement of high-level candidates typically requires broad consultation and consensus among member states.

Observers said Burundi’s move, which sought to push the nomination through a 24-hour silence period, bypassed established procedures, prompting the backlash.

It has been about two months since Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye assumed the rotating chairmanship of the African Union on February 14, succeeding Angola’s João Lourenço during the 39th Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, where he began a one-year term leading the continental bloc.

The process to select the next United Nations Secretary-General is underway ahead of the 2026 election, with initial steps having begun in late 2025.

The UN Security Council is expected to start its formal selection process by the end of July 2026, before recommending a candidate to succeed António Guterres, whose term is set to expire on December 31.