Angola seeks AU backing for Josefa Sacko's bid to lead UN Food agency

Angola seeks AU backing for Josefa Sacko's bid to lead UN Food agency
Angola seeks AU backing for Josefa Sacko's bid to lead UN Food agency - File photo of Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko. (Handout)
File photo of Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko. (Handout)

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Sacko, a former African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, officially presented her vision to the AU Ministerial Committee on Candidatures.

Angola is pushing for a united African endorsement of Ambassador Josefa Sacko as the continent’s candidate for Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), as African foreign ministers meet in Addis Ababa to consider nominations for top international posts.
The African Union Executive Council is this week reviewing several African candidatures and proposals ahead of the AU Mid-Year Coordination Summit in Egypt, where heads of state are expected to make final decisions on the continent’s endorsements.
Sacko, a former African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, officially presented her vision to the AU Ministerial Committee on Candidatures.

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“Today I had the privilege of presenting my vision as a candidate for FAO Director-General to the Ministerial Committee on Candidatures of the African Union. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to share my commitment to advancing food security for Africa,” she said in a post on X on Monday.
Angola has intensified its diplomatic campaign to secure continental backing, with Foreign Minister Téte António holding talks with African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on the sidelines of the meeting.
“Minister Téte António met with the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Youssouf. Key focus: peace in the Great Lakes Region and Sahel, the AU Extraordinary Summit in Luanda (29-30 August), and support for Ambassador Josefa Sacko’s unified candidacy to lead FAO,” Angola’s Ambassador to the AU, Prof. Miguel Bembe, said.

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Luanda hopes a single African endorsement will strengthen Sacko’s chances in the global race, in line with the continent’s long-standing practice of rallying behind one candidate for senior positions in international organisations.
Sacko served two terms as AU Commissioner between 2017 and 2025 and now serves as Angola’s Ambassador to Italy and Permanent Representative to the Rome-based UN agencies, including the FAO.
The posting places her at the centre of diplomatic engagement ahead of the election, a strategy often used by governments seeking leadership positions within multilateral institutions.
The Addis Ababa meeting has become a key diplomatic stage, with foreign ministers weighing a range of continental candidatures before forwarding their recommendations to African leaders.
If endorsed, Sacko would become Africa’s official nominee to head the Rome-based FAO, the UN agency responsible for leading global efforts to eradicate hunger, improve food security and promote sustainable agriculture

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