Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf elected as African Union Commission chairperson
Youssouf secured the position after seven rounds of balloting, ultimately obtaining the required 33 votes.
By Paul Ejime
Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has been elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) following a vote by continental leaders at the 38th ordinary summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday.
He will serve a four-year term, succeeding Moussa Faki of Chad, who led the commission since 2017.
Youssouf secured the position after seven rounds of balloting, ultimately obtaining the required 33 votes.
His main rivals were Madagascar’s former foreign minister, Richard Randriamandrato, and Kenya’s former prime minister and opposition leader, Raila Odinga. Odinga, who was initially considered the frontrunner, won the first round, but Youssouf took the lead from the second round onward after Randriamandrato exited the race.
Algeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU, Selma Malika Haddadi, was elected deputy chairperson, replacing Monique Nsanzabaganwa of Rwanda. Haddadi won in the seventh round, overcoming competitors from Egypt and Morocco.
The summit also saw the election of AUC commissioners. Nigeria’s Ambassador Bankole Adeoye was re-elected as commissioner for political affairs, peace, and security, while Ghana’s Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah was elected commissioner for health, humanitarian affairs, and social development. Both officials hail from West Africa.
Youssouf, 59, studied foreign languages in France and received advanced training in business management in the UK and Brussels.
Before becoming foreign minister in 2005, he served as Djibouti’s ambassador to Egypt under three different administrations.
“If elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission, my priority will be financial management and governance,” Youssouf stated in Rabat, Morocco, last December.
“My goal will also be to mobilise internal funds. Djibouti has always been a source of trust and credibility, able to play a leading role in promoting stability and security.”
He assumes leadership of the AUC at a challenging time, as the continent grapples with leadership difficulties, security threats, political and economic instability, terrorism, and climate change. Several African nations, including Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, and Ethiopia, continue to face violent conflicts. Additionally, six AU member states—Chad, Sudan, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger—are currently under military rule.
The African Union Commission, established in 2002 as the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), plays a critical role in addressing these challenges. Youssouf’s leadership will be closely watched as he navigates the commission through this turbulent period.
