The 38th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) has officially commenced in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The high-stakes meeting, set to shape the future of the continent’s leadership, will see Kenya’s Raila Odinga contest for the position of AU Commission (AUC) chairperson.
The summit began with the AU anthem, followed by opening remarks from key leaders, including outgoing AUC chairperson Moussa Faki, Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Statements were also delivered by representatives from the League of Arab States, the State of Palestine, and the AU Chairperson, Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
One of the key moments of the opening session was the announcement of the Bureau of the Assembly of the African Union for the year 2025. Mauritania’s President Ghazouani handed over the AU chairmanship to Angola’s President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, who gave an acceptance speech outlining his vision for the continental bloc.
Following the open session, the summit transitioned into a closed-door meeting where newly elected African leaders made their inaugural remarks. Among them were Joseph Nyumah Boakai of Liberia, Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, Duma Gideon Boko of Botswana, Navinchandra Ramgoolam of Mauritius, John Mahama of Ghana, Daniel Francisco Chapo of Mozambique, and Mahamat Déby of Chad. The agenda for the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly was then reviewed and adopted.
A major highlight of the summit is the election of the next AU Commission chairperson, a position currently held by Chad’s Moussa Faki. Kenya’s Raila Odinga is among the top contenders, facing competition from Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Madagascar’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Richard Randriamandrato.
The election process involves voting by AU member states, with the exclusion of nations currently under military rule. A candidate must secure a two-thirds majority of the votes cast to win. The AUC chairperson serves a four-year term, renewable once. This year, the Eastern African region is eligible to present a candidate, while the Northern region is set to provide the deputy chairperson.
As the summit progresses, Africa watches closely to see who will take over the reins of the AU Commission, a position crucial for steering the continent’s development agenda, diplomatic engagements, and policy-making decisions.
