Djibouti's foreign minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf elected to top AU post

17 February 2025 - 16:24 By Reuters
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Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, newly elected African Union Commission chairperson, celebrates his victory during the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 15 2025.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, newly elected African Union Commission chairperson, celebrates his victory during the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 15 2025.
Image: REUTERS/ Tiksa Negeri

African leaders chose Djibouti's foreign minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf to chair the African Union commission on Saturday at a summit dominated by fears of the DRC war widening into a regional conflict, the country's finance minister said.

In a post on the X platform Djibouti's economy and finance minister, Ilyas Dawaleh, said Youssouf had "won" the election post.

Youssouf has been foreign minister since 2005. He was previously Djibouti's ambassador to Egypt and has served as foreign minister in the governments of three presidents.


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