Djibouti’s foreign minister, Mahamoud Youssouf, has been elected as the new chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission.
In the election that took place on Saturday, Youssouf won after seven rounds of voting by the union’s 49 member states.
He won the election with 33 votes in the final round, constituting the required two-thirds.
Kenya’s former prime minister, Raila Odinga, and Richard Randriamandrato, Madagascar’s ex-economy and finance and foreign affairs minister vied for the AU top position in the tightly contested race, however, Youssouf secured a win in the final voting round.
The multilingual politician who speaks Arabic, English, and French was perceived as an outside shot compared to fellow contenders from larger African nations.
The Djiboutian replaces Moussa Faki of Chad, who has held the AU chairperson position for eight years.
He is expected to steer the AU through complex issues around peace and security, trade, and institutional reforms while advocating for Africa’s position on the global stage.
