Antonio Guterres

Africa
Macky Sall's push to lead UN sparks divisions within AU

The pan-African organisation, along with several of its member countries, has expressed surprise at the methods used to select the former Senegalese president as Africa's candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General.

Palace Intrigues
Alassane Ouattara, Mahamadou Issoufou, António Guterres

Intrigues big and small: every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Ivory CoastFirst Lady's charity gala pushed to autumn

NigerLomé, Mahamadou Issoufou's rear base

TanzaniaMinister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo in pursuit of Antonio Gueterres from NYC to Riyadh

Central Africa
UN chief appoints interim envoy

Gabonese diplomat Parfait Onanga-Anyanga has been acting as interim head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa in Libreville since 23 February.

Sudan
Sudanese factions solicit support at AU summit

The Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces and the non-aligned Somoud coalition all used the continental gathering as a lobbying opportunity.

Sudan
The search is on for Ramtane Lamamra's successor as special envoy for Sudan

The former Algerian foreign minister is stepping down from his position as UN special envoy to Sudan. Two names are circulating in diplomatic circles for his replacement.

African Union
African capitals consider successor to UN's António Guterres

The latest African Union summit provided an opportunity for several African countries to open discussions on the issue.

DRC
Beijing blocks Washington's MONUSCO candidates

Beijing has so far rejected the leading candidates vying to replace Bintou Keïta.

Tanzania
Following the post-election crisis, factional wars threaten presidential party

Samia Suluhu Hassan is walking a tightrope. The president's unpredictable foreign policy is straining her relations with her main backer, Jakaya Kikwete. In addition, the Magufuli clan continues to threaten the cohesion of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.

Morocco
UN dismisses its Western Sahara representative in Tindouf refugee camps

Palestinian diplomat Yusef Jedian has just received a letter from his employer, the United Nations, informing him of the impending end of his MINURSO mandate.

DRC
Emmanuel Macron seeks crisis resolution role with Great Lakes conference

Paris has invited no fewer than seven African leaders to its humanitarian conference on the crisis in eastern DRC. Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame are both expected in the French capital.

DRC
Cuts force MONUSCO to withdraw some of its peacekeepers

Already much-weakened, the UN stabilisation mission has been directly affected by budgetary cuts introduced by Washington, forcing it to make painful tradeoffs.

South Sudan
UN mission leadership shaken up

UNMISS is deprived of its key officials in the country, including its head, the South African Nicholas Haysom.