Djibouti's Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has been elected as the new chair of the African Union (AU) Commission. He succeeds Moussa Faki, a former prime minister of Chad, who has led the 55-nation bloc since 2017. Youssouf secured the position after defeating two notable candidates: former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Madagascar's ex-Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato, during a vote at the AU summit held in Addis Ababa.

This outcome marks a setback for Odinga, a prominent political figure in Kenya who previously served as prime minister in 2008. Youssouf, who has served as Djibouti's foreign affairs minister since 2005, focused his campaign on issues of peace and security—a critical agenda for the continent.

As AU Commission chair, Youssouf faces pressing challenges, including the growing influence of military juntas in West Africa, the devastating Sudanese civil war that has triggered the world's largest displacement crisis, and persistent conflicts in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The AU Commission has often been criticized for its delayed response to such crises, highlighting the significant responsibility Youssouf inherits in his new role.