Addis Ababa. Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has been elected as the next chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) after securing the required two-thirds majority in a closely contested race against Kenya’s Raila Odinga.
Mr Youssouf won the seat after garnering 33 votes in the final round of the election held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
His victory came after Mr Odinga, the former Prime Minister of Kenya, withdrew from the race following the sixth round.
The contest, which began with three candidates, saw Madagascar’s former Foreign Minister Richard James Randriamandrato exit after the third round.
The battle then narrowed to Mr Youssouf and Mr Odinga, with the latter eventually conceding after failing to bridge the gap in votes.
A breakdown of the results shows that in the first round, Mr Odinga led with 20 votes, followed closely by Mr Youssouf with 19, while Mr Randriamandrato secured 10. The second round saw Mr Odinga extend his lead slightly to 22 votes, with Mr Youssouf at 18 and Mr Randriamandrato dropping to seven.
However, momentum shifted in the third round as Mr Youssouf overtook Mr Odinga with 23 votes against 20, while Mr Randriamandrato was eliminated with five votes.
In subsequent rounds, Mr Youssouf maintained his lead, reaching 25 votes in the fourth round and 26 in both the fifth and sixth rounds.
Meanwhile, Mr Odinga struggled to regain his footing, managing 21 votes in the fourth and fifth rounds and 22 in the sixth.
After the sixth round, Mr Odinga withdrew, paving the way for Mr Youssouf to proceed unopposed in the final round, where he secured the decisive two-thirds majority to claim victory.
Mr Youssouf’s election marks a significant moment for Djibouti, a strategically positioned country in the Horn of Africa, as it assumes a leading role in continental affairs.
His tenure at the helm of the AU Commission is expected to focus on regional integration, peace and security, and economic development.
The election also signals a diplomatic setback for Kenya, which had lobbied extensively for Mr Odinga’s candidacy.
Despite his withdrawal, Mr Odinga’s strong showing in the race underscored Kenya’s influence in regional and continental politics.
Mr Youssouf will take over from the outgoing chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, as the AU Commission seeks to address key challenges facing the continent, including economic growth, governance, and conflict resolution.
