Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has been elected as the new AU Commission Chairman, succeeding Chad’s Moussa Faki Mahamat. The announcement was made on Saturday and Youssouf secured 33 votes, edging Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga on the four-year term.
Djibouti’s Economy Minister, Ilyas Dawaleh, confirmed the victory in a social media post, while government spokesman Alexis Mohamed also celebrated the win: “We won, we have secured the most votes and we won.”
59-year-old Youssouf has been Djibouti’s foreign minister since 2005, thus helping keep the country strategically important for Western powers because of its location in the Horn of Africa. He speaks English, French, and Arabic well; he is Djibouti’s envoy to Egypt and has served three presidents.
Among the reasons stated for his success include his deep knowledge of AU institutions and a rather subdued, but effective campaign. In December, Youssouf acknowledged the “governance problem” in some African countries during an interview with AFP, particularly those that had experienced coups. He emphasized the importance of stability and reform in his administration.
As new AU Commission chairman, Youssouf will be confronted effectively with major issues: growing conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, climate change, and reparations for historical colonial injustices at the time when the AU, having sought to strengthen its role in conflict resolution, governance, and continental unity, sees a critical moment.
Youssouf will be in the global spotlight for his leadership in tackling these burning issues while probing through the often thorny matters of African and global politics.
