Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Youssouf elected new AUC Chairperson after Raila eliminated from race
Mahmoud Youssouf, a seasoned diplomat and long-serving foreign minister, clinched victory following an intense voting process that saw Kenya’s candidate, Raila Odinga, eliminated from the race.
Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Youssouf has been elected the new African Union Commission Chairperson after Kenya's candidate Raila Odinga was eliminated after five rounds of voting.
He was elected as the new AUC Chairperson on Saturday after securing a two-thirds majority with 33 votes.
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Mahmoud, a seasoned diplomat and long-serving foreign minister, clinched victory following an intense voting process that saw Kenya’s candidate, Raila Odinga, eliminated from the race.
The AU, comprising 55 member states, appoints its commission leader through a selection by presidents or heads of government. This leader serves as the chief executive of the Addis Ababa-based secretariat that oversees the union’s operations.
Mahmoud, set to serve a four-year term, succeeds Moussa Faki of Chad, who has held the position since 2017.
The outcome marks a significant setback for Odinga, a veteran politician who had rallied support both domestically and internationally for the role.
The 80-year-old has vied for Kenya’s presidency five times over three decades, and the AU position was seen as his final major engagement in public affairs.
His political journey reached its pinnacle in 2008 when he became Kenya’s prime minister following intense negotiations to end post-election violence that claimed at least 1,000 lives.
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