Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, new Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Screenshot from the video “Djiboutien Mahmoud Ali Youssouf to head African Union Commission” on the France 24 YouTube channel. Fair use.
Since February 16, 2025, the African Union (AU) has had a new chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud (sometimes spelled Mahamoud) Ali Youssouf. Given this continent’s considerable tensions and armed conflicts, the task ahead will be no mean feat.
The AU Commission is the secretariat overseeing the daily running of this institution of 55 countries and over 1.5 billion citizens. As the top official legally representing this institution, the chairperson of the AU Commission is elected to a four-year term renewable only once. They collaborate with the other commissioners responsible for different departments.
Who is Mahmoud Ali Youssouf?
During the 38th ordinary session of the African Union Heads of State and Governments Assembly, held in Addis-Ababa on February 15 and 16, 2025, 33 of the 49 voting counties elected Mahmoud Ali Youssouf as the new chairperson of the AU Commission. Of the 55countries that make up this union, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Gabon, Guinea, and Sudan were all suspended due to their recent coups d’état. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Djiboutian by nationality, replaced Chadian Moussa Faki, who served as chairperson of the AU Commission for two terms (2017–2025).
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf ran against Raila Odinga, the former prime minister of Kenya, and Richard James Randriamandrato, Madagascar’s former minister of foreign affairs. The commission’s new chairperson is multilingual and fluent in three of the AU’s six official languages: French, English, and Arabic. He is also a career diplomat, serving as the Djiboutian minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation from 2005 to 2025.
Upon news of his victory, Mahmoud posted on X (formerly Twitter):
La décision de nos chefs d’état africains est tombée : ils m’ont confié la charge de diriger la CUA [Commission de l'Union Africaine]. C’est une très lourde responsabilité et j’en mesure l’importance : je m’engage à œuvrer pour faire avancer l’agenda continental : merci à tous pour votre soutien constant.
Our African state leaders have decided. They have appointed me chairperson of the African Union Commission. I understand the importance of this enormous responsibility. I pledge to move the continent’s agenda forward. Thank you for your ongoing support. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (@ymahmoudali) February 16, 2025
International reactions
Several international figures have reacted to Mahmoud’s appointment. Paul-Simon Handy, the East African regional director at theInstitute for Security Studies (ISS), explained to the French news television network France24:
Pour aller plus loin, nous avons reçu le Dr. Paul-Simon Handy, directeur régional de @issafrica pour l'Afrique de l'Est. Il a passé sa journée dans les coulisses du sommet de l’#unionafricaine.@France24_fr @FRANCE24 pic.twitter.com/iKDlD5DMq0
— Le Journal de l'Afrique – France 24 (@JTAfrique) February 15, 2025
To learn more, we welcomed Dr. Paul-Simon Handy, the East African regional director at the Institute for Security Studies@issafrica.Handy spent the day behind thescenes at the African Union summit.#unionafricaine.@France24_fr @FRANCE24 pic.twitter.com/iKDlD5DMq0
— Le Journal de l'Afrique – France
Liesl Louw-Vaudran, an AU researcher for the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, explained to French newspaper Le Monde:
C’est un ministre des affaires étrangères et non un ancien chef d’État. L’Union africaine n’a presque eu que des diplomates à sa tête depuis sa création. La grande force de Mahmoud Ali Youssouf est qu’il connaît l’institution par cœur
He is a minister of foreign affairs, not a former head of state. Diplomats have almost exclusively led the African Union since its creation. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf’s strong point is that he knows the institution inside out.
Many challenges to overcome
Upon swearing in on February 16, 2025, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf acknowledged the scale of his assignment. Senegalese media outlet Exclusif.net quoted him as saying:
« J’ai prêté serment pour servir honnêtement et dignement l’Afrique les quatre prochaines années. Une mission hautement exigeante. »
I swore to serve Africa honestly and with dignity for the next four years, a highly demanding assignment.
Various crises and conflicts plague the African continent. For example, there is a conflict in eastern DRC between the DRC army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, as well as a conflict in Sudan increasingly affecting its civilians.
The new chairperson of the AU Commission must also contend with the suspension of six countries and a conflict between Anglophone separatists and the Cameroonian government.
According to Exclusif.net, the Djiboutian minister’s election is a call for unity and action on this continent:
L'élection de Mahmoud Ali Youssouf intervient alors que l’UA cherche à jouer un rôle plus décisif dans la résolution des crises africaines. Son message marque une volonté de redynamiser l’institution et de promouvoir une gouvernance exemplaire.
(…) le nouveau président de la Commission de l’UA devra s’appuyer sur une coopération renforcée entre les États membres et sur une mobilisation des ressources pour concrétiser les ambitions de l’organisation. Son serment est un engagement solennel : celui de défendre les intérêts du continent avec droiture et détermination.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf’s election comes as the AU aims to play a more central role in resolving African crises. His message indicates his commitment to reinvigorating the institution and enforcing exemplary governance.
(…) The new chairperson of the AU Commission must establish closer cooperation between the member states and harness resources to achieve the organization’s ambitions. His oath is a solemn commitment todefend the continent’s interests with honestyand determination.
On the continent, regional organizations face a sovereignty crisis. On the one hand, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) faces the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. On the other hand, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) risks going into conflict with the DRC against Rwanda for its support of the M23 rebels.
In a divided Africa, where China, Europe, Russia, and other actors fight to maintain their influence, the African Union must face multiple political, security, economic, and technological challenges. These challenges are in addition to the priority areas identified in the institution’s Agenda 2063: sustainable and inclusive economic growth, good governance, and innovation.