Addis Ababa (UNA) – Djiboutian diplomat Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was elected on Friday as chairperson of the African Union Commission, following a decisive vote at the pan-African organisation’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, an official source told the Djiboutian News Agency (ADI).
Djibouti’s 59-year-old foreign minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, succeeds Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat after a close contest with several prominent candidates. The election caps a diplomatic career spanning more than two decades, marked by his unwavering commitment to regional stability and strengthening African institutions.
In his first speech, the new Commission Chairman hailed “a collective victory for the Africa of tomorrow,” stressing his determination to “restore the African Union to its leadership position on the continent’s major issues, from economic development to security.”
This mandate is of great importance in light of the increasing tensions on several fronts, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, as the organization seeks to strengthen integration mechanisms and financial independence.
With this election, Djibouti writes a new page in its diplomatic history, and strengthens its presence and influence on the continental scene.
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