Djibouti’s Foreign Minister wins AU Commission Chairperson seat

ADDIS ABABA - After seven rounds of hectic voting by Heads of State and governments, Djibouti’s foreign affairs minister Mohamoud Ali Youssouf beat Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to win the African Union Chairperson race, ending intensive campaigns that started last year.

Going to elections, all odds favoured Raila Odinga, a seasoned politician from Kenya with immense experience and networks, but tabled turned around after the second round of voting.

Raila Odinga led in the first two rounds with Mohamoud Ali Youssouf coming second, scoring 22 votes of the required threshold of 33. Dynamics changed after Madagascar candidate Richard Randriamandrato dropped out of the race.

Thereafter, Youssouf made a significant comeback in round 3, securing 23 votes to Raila's 20. In the sixth round, Mr. Odinga garnered 22 votes with Youssouf managing 26, triggering Raila's drop from the race.

Youssouf, who is the current foreign affairs minister in Djibouti, had to wait for the 7th round to be declared the winner after garnering the required 33 votes, effectively cutting short Mr Odinga's dreams of leading the continental body.

Contrary to Raila Odinga's visible campaigns, Youssouf led a rather quiet campaign, perhaps using his diplomatic connections having served in the strategic foreign affairs docket.

For Mr Odinga, it's yet another painful loss, significantly dealing him a massive blow and perhaps signalling his impending exit from active politics. In Kenya, he has lost presidential polls five times, claiming to have been rigged on four occasions.

After the 2022 elections, he reconciled with President William Ruto, who has been leading his campaigns. Kenya dispatched a high-level delegation to Addis Ababa, led by Ruto.

Youssouf takes over from Moussa Faki, the former Chadian Prime Minister, who has served two terms of four years. Faki was first elected in 2017, beating Kenya's Amina Mohamed in yet another dramatic voting in Addis Ababa.

Although the results could be difficult to analyse, the South African bloc may have favoured Djibouti at the expense of Kenya, a key ally of the United States. The francophone countries and the Arab League states may have voted in favour of Djibouti due to shared language, religion and culture.

GAROWE ONLINE