ACFR Open Letter Calling on Ambassador Olara Otunnu to Step Back from the UN Secretary‑General Race in the Interest of African Unity
The letter is a formal communication from the African Council on Foreign Relations expressing its position regarding Ambassador Olara Otunnu’s candidacy for UN Secretary‑General. It outlines ACFR’s concerns about the implications of his continued participation in the race and calls on him to withdraw in order to preserve continental unity, uphold Africa’s strategic interests, and maintain coherence in the region’s multilateral posture. The letter frames the request as a matter of principle, institutional responsibility, and alignment with Africa’s broader diplomatic priorities. It emphasizes respect for Ambassador Otunnu’s distinguished career while asserting the need for a unified African approach to the UN leadership transition.
OPEN LETTER
Dear Ambassador Olara Otunnu,
The African Council on Foreign Relations (ACFR) writes to you with the full gravity of its continental mandate and with profound respect for your distinguished diplomatic career. Your service to Ugandaand your contributions to global governance are well‑recognized across Africa and beyond. You also served as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the UN (1980–1985), holding several influential positions such as President of the UN Security Council (Dec 1981), Vice‑President of the UN General Assembly (1983–1984), Chairman, UN Commission on Human Rights, Chairman, Contact Group on Global Negotiations, Chairman, Group of 77 (Law of the Sea negotiations). We still remember that while presiding over the Security Council in 1981, you introduced Otunnu, the confidential straw‑balloting procedure for selecting the UN Secretary‑General — now known globally as the Otunnu Formula, still used today. In Uganda, you have also held several senior roles in Uganda including Minister of Foreign Affairs (1985–1986), Member, National Consultative Council (1979–1980), Secretary‑General, Uganda Freedom Union (1976–1980), and President, Uganda People’s Congress (2010–2015). You are widely regarded as one of Africa’s most experienced diplomats, with more than five decades of service in global governance, conflict resolution, and human rights advocacy.
Yet Respect for your long and distinguished record of service cannot overshadow the seriousness of the moment before us, nor can it dilute Africa’s urgent need for continental unity. Africa stands at a geopolitical crossroads where fragmentation carries consequences far beyond individual ambition. Your candidacy, however well‑intentioned, introduces a parallel track that weakens the coherence Africa must project on the global stage. At a time when the continent is striving to consolidate its diplomatic weight, competing bids send a damaging signal of disunity. The African Council on Foreign Relations therefore views your decision not as a neutral democratic exercise, but as a strategic divergence from the principle of collective alignment. Africa’s credibility in global governance depends on presenting a single, disciplined voice capable of shaping outcomes rather than reacting to them. Any initiative that fractures this unity undermines the continental consensus required to advance Africa’s long‑term interests. The stakes of this moment demand restraint, clarity, and a willingness to subordinate personal aspiration to continental strategy. Leadership, in this context, is measured not only by the pursuit of high office but by the discipline to withdraw when unity requires it. For these reasons, your candidacy stands in direct contradiction to Africa’s strategic imperative to speak with one voice.
Africa stands today at a historic crossroads. The international system is undergoing structural transformation; global institutions are redefining their leadership; and Africa is finally asserting itself as a strategic bloc rather than a collection of isolated national voices. In this context, the question is not merely who seeks high office, but whether Africa will present itself as a unified geopolitical actor or fracture under the weight of competing ambitions.
Your candidacy for the position of Secretary‑General of the United Nations introduces a profound challenge to Africa’s collective posture. It is not a neutral act. It is not an isolated national initiative. It is a continental event with continental consequences.The ACFR therefore states, with clarity and without hesitation: We reject your candidacy. In other words, we cannot support your candidacy.
This rejection is not personal. It is strategic. It is rooted in the principle that Africa’s strength lies in unity, and that any initiative which fractures that unity—however distinguished the individual behind it—must be opposed.Africa cannot afford parallel candidacies. Africa cannot afford competing centers of diplomatic gravity. Africa cannot afford fragmentation disguised as democratic choice.At this moment, Africa must speak with one voice.
Ambassador Otunnu,
The African Council on Foreign Relations is formally supporting the candidacy of President Macky Sall, whose bid has already secured broad continental alignment. Our support is not rooted in national favoritism, nor in regional bias. It is rooted in the principle of continental consensus, the cornerstone of Africa’s emerging diplomatic identity At this moment in Africa’s geopolitical evolution, unity is not symbolic—it is strategic. Fragmented candidacies weaken Africa’s negotiating power, dilute our collective voice, and undermine the coherence we have worked tirelessly to build across regional and continental institutions. President Sall’s candidacy represents the closest expression of that shared African position, reflecting months of coordination, consultation, and alignment among key continental actors. Africa must speak with one voice. Africa must act with one strategy. Africa must present one candidate capable of carrying the continent’s aspirations into the highest office of global governance.For these reasons, the African Council on Foreign Relations respectfully urges all leaders and stakeholders to uphold the principle of continental consensus and reinforce Africa’s unified posture on the world stage.
President Sall’s candidacy represents the closest approximation to a unified African position. It is the candidacy around which African institutions, regional blocs, and diplomatic networks have begun to coalesce. It is the candidacy that strengthens Africa’s negotiating power rather than diluting it. It is the candidacy that signals to the world that Africa is capable of strategic coherence.
Your candidacy, by contrast, introduces a competing narrative—a parallel bid that fractures the continental front and weakens Africa’s leverage at a moment when unity is our most valuable asset. It creates the perception of disunity. It signals to global actors that Africa remains vulnerable to internal fragmentation. It undermines the strategic discipline Africa has fought to build.
The ACFR cannot support any initiative that diminishes Africa’s collective posture. This principle is foundational to our institutional identity and to the diplomatic philosophy we uphold across the continent. Africa’s strength—its credibility, its negotiating power, its global relevance—depends on unity of purpose and coherence of action. Any initiative that fragments this posture, weakens continental alignment, or undermines Africa’s ability to speak with one voice stands in direct contradiction to the values and strategic imperatives of the African Council on Foreign Relations. This is not a matter of preference; it is a matter of continental responsibility. Africa must project discipline. Africa must project unity. Africa must project strategic clarity. And the ACFR will always stand on the side of initiatives that reinforce, not erode, Africa’s collective diplomatic architecture.
Unity is not symbolic. Unity is not rhetorical. Unity is a geopolitical instrument—one that Africa must wield with precision.Your candidacy, however well‑intentioned, undermines that instrument. Africa’s collective posture is not merely a preference; it is a strategic asset. When multiple candidacies emerge from within the continent, they fracture the unity we have fought to build, dilute Africa’s negotiating strength, and weaken our ability to present a coherent diplomatic front on the global stage. The African Council on Foreign Relations’ position is guided by one principle alone: Africa must speak with one voice. Any initiative—no matter how noble, sincere, or individually compelling—that disrupts continental consensus ultimately diminishes Africa’s influence in multilateral arenas. For this reason, we cannot endorse a path that divides the continent at a moment when unity is our greatest leverage.
We therefore call upon you to reconsider your position—not as an act of personal retreat, but as an act of continental responsibility. Leadership is not only the pursuit of office; it is the discipline to withdraw when the collective interest demands it. In moments such as this, the measure of a statesman is not found in the persistence of his ambition, but in the clarity of his judgment. Africa’s diplomatic architecture is strongest when its leaders demonstrate the maturity to prioritize unity over individual aspiration. The continent is entering a decisive era in global governance, one in which fragmentation carries real strategic cost. A divided Africa is a diminished Africa; a unified Africa is an undeniable force. Your reconsideration would not be a concession of weakness, but a declaration of strength—an affirmation that Africa’s collective posture is more important than any single candidacy. It would signal to the world that African leaders understand the stakes, honor the principle of continental consensus, and are prepared to act with discipline when unity is required. Africa's credibility depends on unity. Africa’s negotiating power depends on coherence. Africa’s future in global governance depends on discipline.
Ambassador Otunnu,
On behalf of the African Council on Foreign Relations, I would like to formulate a final request. The African Council on Foreign Relations appeals to your deep understanding of continental dynamics, your long experience in multilateral diplomacy, and your commitment to Africa’s long‑term strategic interests. The world is watching Africa’s posture in this race. The world is assessing whether Africa can act as a unified geopolitical bloc or whether it will fall back into the familiar pattern of fragmented national pursuits.
We urge you to consider the following:
African Unity — Africa’s credibility in global governance depends on presenting a single, coherent voice.
Continental Consensus — Competing candidacies erode the principle of consensus that Africa has worked to build.
Strategic Discipline — Personal ambition must yield to continental strategy when Africa’s future is at stake.
The ACFR’s position is therefore final, firm, and unequivocal: We morally reject your candidacy and reaffirm our support for President Macky Sall as the unified African candidate for the United Nations Secretary‑General race. Your withdrawal would strengthen Africa. Your withdrawal would honor Africa. Your withdrawal would demonstrate leadership of the highest continental order.
The African Council on Foreign Relations remains committed to advancing a unified, dignified, and strategically coherent African presence on the world stage. We trust that you will weigh this moment with the seriousness it demands and act in the spirit of African unity.
With highest consideration,
Dr. Jean Narcisse Djaha President & Global Executive Chair of the African Council on Foreign Relations