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AUC chair post: More competition for Raila as Djibouti fronts candidate

Djibouti's Foreign minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf. (Photo: File/Handout)

By Mwangi Maina | 09 Apr 2024

Djibouti's Foreign minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf is the latest addition to a list of candidates including Kenyan politician Raila Odinga.

Djibouti has fronted its Foreign minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf for the role of African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson, adding to a list of candidates that includes Kenyan politician Raila Odinga.

The Horn of Africa country intensified the competition for the role beyond initial expectations.

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Mahamoud joins Raila, the leader of the opposition's Azimio la Umoja coalition and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and Somalia's Fawzia Yussuf in the race for the post, which is reserved for Eastern Africa.

"Djibouti announces the candidature of its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, for the position of President of the African Union Commission," read a dispatch from the presidency.

"... Djibouti expresses its faith in the ability of Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, an experienced man and seasoned diplomat, knowing the mysteries of the continental organisation, to serve and instill a dynamic in the Pan-African organisation."

Mahamoud has held the position of Foreign minister since 2005 and is proficient in French, English, and Arabic, which are among the official languages of the African Union (AU). Djibouti's official languages are French and Arabic.

Observers contend that the competition has notably stiffened for Kenya's candidate, as there's the potential for a bloc of French-speaking nations to rally behind the Djiboutian contender.

Recently, Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi held talks with his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne in Nairobi, during which they addressed matters including the upcoming summit of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

Although Kenya is not a member of the OIF, its involvement in French-speaking Africa remains significant. This is noteworthy since Raila, a former Prime Minister, backed by President William Ruto, leads a continental effort to secure the AUC leadership.

Nairobi will be represented at the summit and will lobby for Raila.

Djibouti joined the OIF in 1977, alongside 20 other African nations. Additionally, the country is part of the Arab League, which has 10 African member states, the others being Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Mauritania, and the Comoros Islands.

Also noteworthy is that Djibouti posed a significant challenge to Kenya during the race for the African representative at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2020.

Kenya received endorsements from AU member states but Djibouti nominated itself, highlighting the maritime dispute between Kenya and Somalia as evidence that the former would be incapable of effectively managing regional security issues.