- Mahmoud Youssouf has come forward to oppose claims that he may withdraw from the race for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC).
- The minister of Djibouti dismissed the allegations and said that they are false news aimed at disrupting his base of support
- Mahmoud will compete with the former prime minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga, and the former minister of the government of Madagascar, Richard Randriamandrato
Djibouti's long-time Foreign Minister Mahmoud Youssouf says he is still in the running for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC).
Source: Twitter
The vote will be held on February 25, 2025, in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.
Claims flew that Mahmoud was considering withdrawing from the race for undisclosed reasons.
However, in his statement on the X social network, Djboutian said he is still in the race to succeed Moussa Faki in the secretariat of the African Union.
According to him, the claims that he is out of the race are aimed at disrupting his base of support.
“Don't bother with fake news, it's a small attempt by my opponents to distract my supporters and mislead them. Rest assured, dear friends and supporters, I'm still in the race and doing well so far,” he said.
With more than three decades of solid experience in diplomacy and governance, Mahmoud believes his vision is aligned with the African Union's Agenda 2063.
How Mahmoud Youssouf intends to change Africa
He aims to make Africa an inclusive, prosperous and peaceful continent, guided by the values of, among others, diversity, gender equality and openness.
While trying to convince African heads of state to support his request, the 60-year-old Djibouti citizen committed to implementing institutional reforms to achieve the common goals of the continent.
His vision for Africa is based on responsible leadership, good governance and democracy, building institutional capacity, promoting peace and security, economy, infrastructure development, and Africa's image on the international stage.
Mahmoud will compete with the former prime minister of Kenya, Raila Odingaand the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar, Richard Randriamandrato.
At the same time, the Kenyan government is known to have deployed staff and resources to campaign for its candidate.
For Raila to win, he will need the support of member states represented by their heads either by consensus or at least two-thirds of the votes.
Raila's term in the AU secretariat will be
If successful, Raila will be at the helm of the African Union (AU) secretariat for a four-year term, renewable once.
During his leadership, he will be accustomed to the ethics of the presidency, where the office holder should take a back seat in the politics of their country and, at the same time, be neutral in the African social and political position.
The former prime minister of Kenya believes that he is best suited to lead the African continent towards Agenda 2063, which focuses on, among other priority areas, income, decent work, healthy and well-nourished citizens, education, sustainable economic growth and interactive. better and livable housing for Africans.
In August 2024, Raila launched an eight-point agenda while announcing his ambition.
He promised to focus on the continent's economic reform, intra-African trade, financial freedom, agricultural transformation, gender equality and equity, climate action, continental cooperation and peace and security.
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