Gabon Reported to Back UAE Bid for UN Chief

Africa · UN Race

Gabon’s foreign ministry has reportedly thrown its support behind Lana Nusseibeh of the UAE in the race to lead the United Nations. We could not read the statement itself, and no second report confirms it.

What Gabon Is Reported to Have Said

A Gabonese news report published on Tuesday 10 November 2026 says the foreign ministry announced Gabon’s support for Nusseibeh on its official Facebook account. The report describes the move as an extension of the friendly and cooperative relations between Gabon and the UAE.

It adds that the ministry pointed to her recognised diplomatic experience and her work on peace, international security and conflict prevention. We could not open the ministry’s post and found no second report, so this is reported, not confirmed.

How the Race Reached This Point

The UN picks its Secretary-General in two steps: the 15-member Security Council recommends a candidate, and the General Assembly of all member states appoints. A candidate needs nine Council votes and no veto from the US, China, Russia, Britain or France.

Before a formal vote, the Council holds informal votes called straw polls, whose results it does not officially publish. Sall, Senegal’s former president, withdrew on Saturday 17 October, a day after the sixth poll, saying the results pointed to a candidate from Latin America or the Caribbean and that he wanted to help a consensus emerge.

Nusseibeh entered the race on Wednesday 21 October. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan wrote to the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council to nominate her.

She is a senior official of the UAE foreign ministry and was her country’s ambassador to the UN until 2024. Benin’s foreign minister announced its support on Sunday 25 October, and Morocco said on Monday 26 October that it would back her.

Other declared candidates include Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, who heads the UN trade and development agency, and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, a former Guyanese foreign minister. Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who heads the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Olara Otunnu, a Ugandan former foreign minister, are also running.

Our earlier reports cover Sall’s exit, his campaign’s straw poll and how the veto works. They explain how the voting works and why Sall left.

What It Means for You

The Secretary-General leads the UN’s peacekeeping and aid work. Because Washington is one of the five veto holders, no candidate can win over its objection.

Gabonese backing, if confirmed, would matter mainly as a signal of where African votes may go after Sall’s exit. For readers tracking Gulf influence in Africa, the Benin and Morocco endorsements already show where her early support lies.

What Is Not Known

We do not know when Gabon’s ministry published its statement, or whether it names any other candidate. The Security Council does not officially publish straw poll results, so unofficial tallies are the only guide.

The date of the next informal vote is also unknown. Guterres’s term ends on 31 December 2026, so a recommendation is due before then.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Lana Nusseibeh?

Lana Nusseibeh is a senior official of the UAE foreign ministry and a former UAE ambassador to the UN. She entered the race to succeed Guterres on 21 October 2026.

Has Gabon officially backed her?

A Gabonese news report says the foreign ministry announced its support on Facebook. We could not read the post or find a second report, so it is not confirmed.

Why did Macky Sall quit?

Sall, Senegal’s former president, withdrew on 17 October 2026 after the sixth straw poll. He said the polls favoured a candidate from Latin America or the Caribbean.

Sources: Gabon’s foreign ministry statement (reported, not read by us); statements by the governments of the UAE, Benin and Morocco; UN rules for selecting the Secretary-General.

The Big Picture

Africa: The New Scramble — why the world’s powers are competing for the continent