Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Youssouf, has been elected as the new Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, defeating Kenya’s Raila Odinga and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato in a keenly contested election.
Youssouf secured victory on Saturday during the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where African leaders, including Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, convened. He will serve a four-year term, succeeding Chad’s Moussa Faki, who has held the position since 2017.
The election saw participation from 55 AU member states, except for six suspended nations.
Odinga, backed by Kenyan President William Ruto, initially led in the first round but lost momentum in later stages. By the third round, Youssouf overtook him, securing 23 votes to Odinga’s 20, while Randriamandrato dropped out with five votes.
The contest tightened in subsequent rounds, but Youssouf maintained his lead. In the decisive seventh round, he clinched victory with 33 votes after Odinga was eliminated.
As the new AU Commission Chairperson, Youssouf will lead the organization’s secretariat, oversee policy implementation, and play a pivotal role in shaping Africa’s political and economic agenda.
