Djibouti Foreign Minister Elected to Top African Union Post

The 38th regular session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) on February 15 elected Djibouti's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mahamoud Ali Youssouf as the new Chairman of the AU Commission, marking a new shift in the leadership of this regional organization.

Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Djibouti, becomes Chairman of the African Union Commission. (Source: THX)

African leaders have chosen Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf as chairman of the African Union Commission, amid fears that fighting in Congo is spilling over into a regional conflict.

In a post on the X platform, Djibouti's Minister of Economy and Finance Ilyas Dawaleh said Mr Youssouf had "won" the election.

Mr. Youssouf has served as foreign minister since 2005. He previously served as Djibouti's ambassador to Egypt and served as foreign minister in the governments of three presidents.

According to the voting results, he won against two other strong candidates, former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Madagascar Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato.

According to Xinhua , in a televised debate in December, Mr. Youssouf outlined his priorities for the AU, pledging to strengthen the AU Peace and Security Council, deploy an African Standby Force, ensure stable funding for the union, promote intra-African trade and free movement of goods and people across the continent.

"Africa's place on the international stage will be one of my priorities. The Africa we want is one of peace, integration and prosperity. If I am given the opportunity to chair the commission, I will do my best to ensure that our continent shines on the international stage," he stressed at the time.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/minister-of-foreign-affairs-djibouti-was-elected-to-the-highest-position-of-the-african-alliance-304488.html