ADDIS ABABA (Kaab TV) – Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf has emerged as the new Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission after a tense seven-round voting process.
Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga initially led in the first two rounds, but Youssouf gained momentum and secured 33 votes in the sixth round, while Odinga received 22.
This prompted Odinga to withdraw from the race, allowing Youssouf to secure the required two-thirds majority.
Out of AU’s 49 voting member states, two abstained in the final round, with one consistently abstaining throughout the secret ballot.
With this victory, Youssouf takes over as the new head of the AU Commission, steering the continental body through its next term.