- Mahamoud Ali Youssouf is the 5th Chairperson of the African Union Commission, bringing his decades of diplomatic experience to a new level.
- He garnered 33 votes after rounds of voting against the notable candidate, Raila Odinga, and Madagascar’s candidate, Richard J. Mandiamandrato.
- A candidate needs to secure two-thirds of the votes to clinch the seat.
The race for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship has reached a climax, with Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf winning the seat with 33 votes against Kenya’s Raila Odinga and Madagascar’s Richard J. Randriamandrato.
Raila Odinga took an early lead in the first and second rounds of voting, garnering 20 and 22 votes, respectively. Richard Randriamandrato tumbled in the first and second rounds of voting, paving the way for Raila Odinga and Mahamoud Ali Youssouf to advance. Richard dropped in the third round after garnering 5 votes.
Raila Odinga tumbled in the third round, where he got 20 votes against Mahmoud Ali’s uptick at 23 votes, with one abstention. In both the fourth and sixth rounds of voting, he was flanked by Mohamoud Ali Youssouf, who received 25, 26, and 26 votes respectively.
Raila dropped in the sixth round after losing in three consecutive voting rounds, leaving Djibouti’s candidate heading forward alone after failing to garner two-thirds of votes in six consecutive rounds.
Results for the Elections of the AUC Chair Position
First Round Results for AUC Chairmanship
- Raila Odinga (Kenya)-20 votes
- Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti)-18 votes
- Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar) – 10 votes
Second Round Results
- Raila Odinga-22 votes
- Mahmoud Ali Youssouf-19 votes
- Richard J. Randriamandrato-7 votes
Third Round Results
- Mahmoud Ali Youssouf-23 votes
- Raila Odiang-20 votes
- Richard Randrimandrato-5 votes
- Abstention-1 vote
Fourth Round Results
- Mahmoud Ali Youssouf-25 votes
- Raila Odinga-21 votes
- Spoiled- vote
- Abstention-1 votes
Fifth Round Results
- Mahmoud Ali Youssouf-26 votes
- Raila Odinga-21 votes
- Abstention-2 votes
Sixth Round Results
- Mahmoud Ali Youssouf-26 votes
- Raila Odinga-22 votes
- Abstention-vote
Seventh Round: Mahmoud secures 33 votes to become the 5th Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Who’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the 5th Chairperson for AUC?
Born on September 2, 1965, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf is a prominent Djiboutian diplomat who has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the International Cooperation since May 22, 2005.
He completed his baccalaureate at Djibouti High School in 1985 and pursued higher education in foreign languages at Lumiere University Lyon 2 from 1985 to 1990. He also studied business management at the University of Liverpool in 1988 and obtained a management magisterium from Université Laval in 1995.
He headed the Arab affairs department during the 1990s and served as Ambassador to Egypt from 1997 to 2001 in his early roles within Djibouti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Youssouf has also held various significant positions, including his position as the Minister-Delegate for International Cooperation in July 2001.
He chaired the Arab League’s Council of Foreign Ministers in 2008 and has been actively advocating for climate action and development issues at the United Nations. Mahamoud’s win as the AUC Chairperson is a significant milestone in his career as a skilled diplomat with decades of experience in international affairs—marking a strategic vision for Africa.
