Obama speaks by phone with Ban Ki-moon

The U.S. president-elect Barack Obama spoke by phone with UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, as well as the presidents of Colombia, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, it was learned from his team. He "thanked them for their congratulations after his election," said the transition team in a press release, without further precision. Mr. Obama has hit son almost every day to world leaders since his election Nov. 4 to face Republican John McCain. Wednesday, he spoke with Mr. Ban and with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua and Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade and South Africa Kgalema Motlanthe. Uribe did not hide his support for John McCain during the campaign and Mr. Obama opposed the ratification of a free trade agreement between the two countries, whose vote is currently frozen in Congress by the Democratic majority Sensitive about human rights in that country.