African leaders have elected Djibouti’s foreign minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, as the new head of the African Union Commission.
Youssouf triumphed over Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Madagascar’s ex-Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato in a decisive vote at the AU summit in Addis Ababa.
The African Union, comprising 55 member states, entrusts its commission’s leadership to presidents and heads of government through an electoral process.
Youssouf, who has served as Djibouti’s foreign affairs minister since 2005, will lead the AU Commission for the next four years, replacing Moussa Faki of Chad.
His victory marks a significant setback for Odinga, the 80-year-old Kenyan politician who had hoped to cap his long career with the AU post.
Odinga, who has vied for Kenya’s presidency five times over three decades, once served as prime minister after a power-sharing deal ended post-election violence in 2008.
Despite his revered status in Kenya, Odinga’s recent political alliance with President William Ruto stirred controversy among his longtime supporters.
As AU Commission chair, Youssouf faces pressing challenges, including the resurgence of military juntas in West Africa and escalating violence in eastern Congo.
In recent days, Rwandan-backed rebels have seized two major cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, intensifying regional instability.
The African Union has often faced criticism for its perceived lack of decisive action in addressing armed conflicts across the continent.
Youssouf’s leadership will be closely watched as he navigates the political and security crises defining Africa’s current landscape.Djibouti’s Mahmoud Youssouf elected as new AU Commission chief
