Mahmoud Youssouf conferred with highest honour in Djibouti days after defeating Raila
By Lutta Njomo, February 28, 2025Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the newly elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), has been feted with the highest honour in Djibouti.
In a statement on Friday, February 28, 2025, Mahmoud noted that the decoration was bestowed upon him by Djibouti’s President, Ismail Omar Guelleh, during a meeting with all ambassadors.
According to Mahmoud, he was feted for his contribution to Djibouti, where he served as Foreign Minister before winning the AUC contest, in which he was pitted against Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato.
“Yesterday, President Guelleh honored me with the highest decoration of the country for years of dedication and hard work,” Mahmoud stated.
Shift focus on AUC
Following the honour, Mahmoud announced that it was time for him to focus on the AUC role. In his statement, he noted that he would channel all his energy to serve the continent in his new capacity.
“Now, it is time to turn this chapter of my career and move to the African Union to serve our continent and its peoples to the best of my ability. I am overwhelmed,” he added.
The 60-year-old will take over from the outgoing Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, who served for two consecutive terms since 2017.
Before his election, Mahmoud served as both the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), among key other roles.
Mahmoud’s roles will include the overall responsibility for the Commission’s administration and finances; promoting and popularizing the AU’s objectives and enhancing its performance; consulting and coordinating with key stakeholders like Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECS), and development partners.
The Chairperson of the AUC is the Chief Executive Officer, the legal representative of the AU, and the AU Commission Chief Accounting Officer.
Raila, who was his arch-rival in the race, on the other hand embarked on a nationwide consultation mission, which he noted would inform his next move. Besides positioning himself to offer direction to his party, ODM, which is largely divided, Raila also expressed readiness to serve the continent in any capacity.