African Nations Seek Names for Top U.N. Job

UNITED NATIONS —  In a blow to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the president of Africa’s regional association is urging Africans to submit candidates for the top U.N. job because of U.S. opposition to the Egyptian incumbent.

The move by President Paul Biya of Cameroon, chairman of the Organization of African Unity, appeared to break a deadlock following the Nov. 19 veto of Boutros-Ghali by the United States. In the days following the veto, African states seemed reluctant to put forward other candidates while Boutros-Ghali remained in play.

In order keep an African in the top job, Biya said in a letter sent Friday to fellow African heads of state, it is time for African states to submit “other candidates” along with Boutros-Ghali.

The current president of the U.N. Security Council, Francesco Paulo Fulci of Italy, is expected to call a meeting on the issue Wednesday. Diplomats said they expected at least one African candidate to be nominated by then. “And by Friday the floodgates should be opening,” said a senior African envoy.

Boutros-Ghali’s term expires Dec. 31. His immediate predecessors--Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru, Kurt Waldheim of Austria and U Thant of Burma--all had two five-year terms, and this has become an unwritten U.N. tradition.

The United States, which has accused Boutros-Ghali of not being aggressive enough in pursuing reform, cast the lone negative vote against him in the 15-member council.