Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Youssouf has been elected as the new chairperson for African Union Commission.
This was after Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga dropped out of the race in his bid to replace Moussa Faki in the sixth round.
Youssouf of Djibouti secured two-thirds majority with 33 votes which he won on the seventh round and became the next AUC Chairperson for the next four years.
He will replace Moussa Faki who served for two terms.
Raila Odinga won the first and second rounds but dropped to second on the third round with 20 votes whereas Youssuf garnered 23 votes, and their other competitor Richard Randriamandrato eliminated from the race.
He also became second on the fourth and fifth round, retaining 21 votes each.
Yussouf on the other had secured 23 and 25 votes respectively with one spoilt vote reported and two abstentions.
The former Kenya Prime Minister was eliminated on the sixth round as Youssouf took the lead with 26 votes while Raila garnered only 22 votes.
This marks the second loss for Kenya in the bid for the AUC Chairperson.
In 2017, Kenyan Amina Mohammed garnered 16 votes and lost on the seventh round to Mousa Faki who won with 38 votes.
