Mahmoud Ali Youssouf Elected as New African Union Commission Chair

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has been elected as the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission, bringing decades of diplomatic experience to the continental body.

Few diplomats can match the tenure of Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti’s foreign minister since 2005. On Saturday, he was elected to lead the African Union’s executive commission.

Youssouf gained the necessary backing from two-thirds of the region’s leaders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, to secure a position representing approximately 1.5 billion Africans across the continent.

At 59, the individual was considered a long shot against seasoned Kenyan politician Raila Odinga. However, observers commended the diplomat’s understated campaign to follow Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat and lead the pan-African organization.

The multilingual politician, fluent in Arabic, English, and French, maintains a close relationship with Djibouti’s leader Ismail Omar Guelleh.

In a message on X, Guelleh described his minister’s election as “a proud moment for Djibouti and Africa.”

“Under his leadership, Africa will benefit from committed and visionary service.”

Djibouti, with a population of approximately one million people, is among the least populated countries on its continent. It occupies a strategic location overlooking the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, an essential passage for much of global trade.

Delegates wait outside during a closed session of the 38th African Union (AU) Summit at AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa on February 15, 2025. (Photo by Marco Simoncelli / AFP)

Youssouf stated that certain African nations, especially those recently affected by coups, are experiencing a “problem with governance.”

He informed AFP in December that the continent is currently facing numerous challenges.

He stated that his priority as the commission chairman would be “peace and security.”

He will need to address the severe conflicts in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, along with significant reductions in development aid initiated by US President Donald Trump.

The decision to reduce funding for the USAID agency has left much of the continent in shock, with experts cautioning that it would severely impact humanitarian efforts in Africa.

In December, prior to the inauguration of the US leader, Youssouf declined to comment on Trump and informed AFP that his policies would be evaluated “without prejudice.”