Africans delay submitting names for U.N. post

[Reuter / Evelyn Leopold]

UNITED NATIONS (Reuter) - Despite a recommendation from the
head of the Organization of African Unity, African ambassadors
said on Tuesday no new names would be submitted for U.N.
secretary-general at this time.
``Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali is still Africa's
candidate,'' said James Jonah, the ambassador from Sierra Leone
after a meeting of more than 50 African U.N. envoys.
But Djibouti's ambassador Roble Olhaye said more time was
needed because some envoys were seeing for the first time a
letter from Cameroon President Paul Biya, the chairman of the
Organization of Africa Unity, who suggested to African leaders
they could submit other candidates.
The OAU last July endorsed the 74-year old Egyptian
diplomat, whose five-year term ends on Jan. 31. A month earlier
Washington said it would veto him and on Nov. 19 Ambassador
Madeleine Albright did so in a 14-1 Security Council vote.
``This is the first time people are seeing the Biya
letter,'' said Olhaye. ``Some are saying that they did not hear
from their capitals. Some are saying that their heads of state
had not received the letter and there are some who have a
different interpretations of the letter. ``
``Alot of people who have been meeting here today need to
have a little more time. That was the gist of the discussion,''
he said.
Nevertheless, Security Council members are growing impatient
with delays since the U.S. veto and had thought that Biya's
letter would bring forth a host of nominations from Africa,
which is being given preference in the selection of a
secretary-general.
Diplomats said that envoys from the Ivory Coast had spoken
to Council President Paulo Fulci of Italy about the candidacy of
their foreign minister, Amara Essy. But no letter has been
received in writing that would make the nomination official.
Ambassador Daniel Abibi of the Congo, the current chairman
of the African group at the United Nations, indicated that the
next meeting where some action might be taken was a summit,
opening on on Wednesday, among France and French-speaking
African nations in the Burkina Faso capital of Ouagadougou.
France, one of the many U.N. members angry at the United
States for its veto of Boutros-Ghali, has said it wanted a
''francophone'' in the job. Boutros-Ghali is fluent in French
and received his doctorate in Paris.
But several other African countries are reported unhappy at
the prospect of a secretary-general with weak English.
Biya's letter, dated Nov. 29, recommended that African
leaders submit other names besides Boutros-Ghali so that the
continent would not lose its hold on the top U.N. post for
another five years. The United States vetoed Boutros-Ghali on
Nov. 19.
The letter was obtained by Reuters on Monday and published
as a U.N. document on Tuesday.
Biya, in the letter, also said he was seeking the views of
African members, a request that U.N. spokeswoman Sylvana Foa
interpreted as a need for a response.
``My understanding is that President Biya is asking other
heads of states for their views on his proposal while
reaffirming that Boutros Boutros-Ghali is the candidate of the
OAU,'' she said.
``He (Boutros-Ghali) has no reason to object if other names
are submitted. At this time he is a candidate,'' she said
At the same time there was consternation at a report that
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Cairo could do no more for
Boutros-Ghali in view of the U.S. veto and it was up to the
secretary-general to decide whether to continue his candidacy.
Foa said Boutros-Ghali had spoken to Mubarak on Tuesday and
the Egyptian president said his comments ``were taken out of
context and that Egypt would continue to support his
re-election.''