Mahmoud Youssouf Elected New Chairperson of the African Union Commission

ZANIS- The African Union Heads of State and Government have elected Mahmoud Youssouf of Djibouti as the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).

Mr. Youssouf won the position in a tightly contested election during the African Union Summit, securing 33 votes, or two-thirds of the total votes cast by member states.

Mr. Youssouf triumphed over his opponents, Raila Odinga of Kenya and Mauritania’s Randriamandrato.

Mr. Youssouf, 59, is a seasoned diplomat with an extensive career, having served as the Foreign Minister of Djibouti since 2005.

He succeeds Moussa Faki, who has held the AUC Chairmanship since 2017 and served two terms in the role.