The African Union (AU) concluded its annual summit on Saturday, electing Djibouti's Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, as the new chair of the AU Commission.

The election, held in a secret ballot, saw Youssouf emerge victorious after seven rounds of voting, defeating Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Foreign Minister of Madagascar Richard Randriamandrato.

Youssouf, the longest-serving foreign minister on the continent, takes the helm as the AU grapples with escalating conflicts in several member states, most notably in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan.

The DRC is witnessing a resurgence of violence as M23 rebels make territorial gains, approaching the strategic city of Bukavu after recently seizing Goma. The DRC government accuses neighboring Rwanda of supporting the rebels, a claim Rwanda denies.  AU leaders have called for an immediate ceasefire, cessation of hostilities, and the reopening of crucial supply routes, including the Goma airport.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan also dominated discussions at the summit.  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, present at the summit, urged warring factions in Sudan to cease hostilities and protect civilians and humanitarian workers.  Guterres also launched an appeal for $6 billion to address the urgent needs of approximately 26 million Sudanese requiring emergency assistance.

Prior to his election, Youssouf emphasized his commitment to “silencing the guns” across the continent, prioritizing conflict prevention and resolution. He also pledged to reform the AU, focusing on merit-based recruitment to build a highly skilled and effective commission staff.

In addition to the election of the new commission chair, Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco assumed the rotating AU chairmanship, succeeding Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani.  The summit saw participation from 29 presidents, three vice presidents, four prime ministers, and a king, representing the majority of the AU's 55 member states, excluding six suspended nations. (ILKHA)