Djibouti’s long-serving Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was elected as head of the African Union Commission (AUC), securing the backing of regional leaders in Addis Ababa.
Youssouf has been Djibouti’s foreign minister since 2005 and takes over from Moussa Faki Mahamat, the former prime minister of Chad, who has served two consecutive four-year terms as the leader of the AUC.
While the position was strictly reserved for East Africa, three contestants including Youssouf, Madagascar’s ex-foreign minister Richard Randriamandrato, and Kenyan politician Raila Odinga, contested the seat.
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In his official manifesto, he has committed to advancing governance and democracy, strengthening institutional capacity, and fostering peace and security, among other goals.
Youssouf assumes office at a precarious time in Africa and is expected to leverage his diplomatic expertise especially to address the conflicts raging in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
