Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Youssouf Elected AU Chairperson, Defeats Kenya’s 80-Year-Old Former PM Odinga

Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, 59, has been elected as the new Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission during the AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 15, 2025.

Youssouf, who has served as Djibouti’s foreign minister since 2005, secured the position after garnering 33 votes, defeating notable candidates such as Kenya’s 80-year-old former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Madagascar’s ex-Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato.

According to reports by Thecitizen, Odinga dropped out in the sixth round after he had 22 votes, while Youssouf had 26. Randriamandrato was earlier removed in the third round.

The unexpected defeat has sparked a wave of reactions across Kenya, with some urging Odinga to come home and focus on preparations for the 2027 elections.

Speaking to KTN, Wycliffe Juma, a Kisumu resident, said, “We were expecting him to win. We are disappointed, yes, but let Baba come home because we need him on the ballot in 2027,” Standard Media quoted him.

Meanwhile, Youssouf will succeed Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, who has held the post since 2017.

In Djibouti, Youssouf’s victory has been celebrated as a diplomatic milestone for the small Horn of Africa nation. President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh congratulated him, stating that his leadership at the AU would enhance Africa’s unity and global influence.

His election comes when the African Union faces mounting pressure to address conflicts across the continent, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and the Sahel region.

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