February 15, (THEWILL) – Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Ambassador Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has been elected new Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).
Youssouf was elected on Saturday, at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
He succeeds Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, who completed his second four-year term limit on Saturday.
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.
THEWILL reports that Youssouf eliminated Odinga in rounds 6, securing 26 votes to oust the Kenya politician, who trailed with 22 votes.
At the end of the exercise in round 7, Youssouf polled 33 votes to clinch the seat of the AUC Chairperson.
Born September 2, 1965, Youssouf is a Djiboutian diplomat. He has served in the government of Djibouti as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2005.
Meanwhile, Angola President Joao Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, has assumed the Presidency of the Continental union following the expiration of the tenure of Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
