Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister was, on February 15, elected the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). He won the AUC chair seat after garnering 33 votes in round 7. He replaced Moussa Mahamat Faki who was at the helm of the commission since 2017. ALSO READ: AUC leadership race: How does the vote work? The election took place during the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Youssouf was vying for the role against former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Madagascar’s ex-Finance Minister Richard Randriamandrato. ALSO READ: What are Raila Odinga's chances of clinching the top AU job? Odinga came second with 20 votes while Randriamandrato came third with 5 votes. Odinga was fronted as a candidate of the East African Community (EAC) bloc and the later was representing the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Youssouf is charged with the responsibility to steer Africa to realise its Vision 2063. Vision 2063, also known as 'Agenda 2063', is a strategic framework for transforming Africa into a prosperous, integrated, and peaceful continent by the year 2063. It focuses on the inclusive and sustainable socio-economic and political development of the African continent for the benefit of its people. In other developments, Angola’s João Lourenço will take over as the African Union Chairperson from Mauritania’s Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
