Algeria's Selma Haddadi takes helm as AUC Deputy Chairperson
She will now serve as Djibouti's Mahmoud Ali Youssouf's deputy, overseeing the commission's administration and financial management.
Algerian diplomat Selma Haddadi has officially assumed her role as the African Union Commission (AUC) Deputy Chairperson, succeeding Rwanda's Monique Nsanzabaganwa, whose term concluded on Thursday.
Elected in February 2025 during the AU leaders' summit, Haddadi will now serve as Djibouti's Mahmoud Ali Youssouf's deputy, overseeing the commission's administration and financial management.
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High-stakes election
Haddadi clinched victory in a competitive race that saw her edge out five other contenders from the Northern Africa region, including a Moroccan candidate. Her win further solidifies Algeria's influence within the AU at a time when regional diplomacy is undergoing notable shifts.
Before her election, Haddadi served as Algeria's ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the AU, giving her firsthand experience navigating the commission's corridors. Between 2019 and 2023, she was Algeria's envoy to Kenya, strengthening Algiers' diplomatic footprint in East Africa. More recently, from 2023 to 2024, she headed the Directorate General for Africa at the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
President William Ruto when he held talks with Selma Haddadi in Nairobi when she was the Algerian Ambassador to Kenya in 2020. (Photo: DPCS)
AU vision
In her campaign vision, Haddadi pledged to streamline AU management, enhance efficiency, and push for reforms that would unlock Africa's full potential. She now steps into the Deputy Chairperson role with the task of ensuring the AU Commission's bureaucracy runs smoothly, managing budgets, and supporting strategic initiatives across the continent.
From representing Algeria in Addis to now helping steer the AU ship, Haddadi has swapped ambassadorial duties for a front-row seat in shaping continental policy. How she navigates the political currents within the AU in the next three years will be closely watched.
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