AUC Chairmanship: Raila Odinga to Face Off With Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Yousouff and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato

African presidents are set to convene for a summit between February 14 and 15 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where they will vote for the new African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson to replace Chad’s Mousa Faki.

In the running for the seat is Kenya’s own Raila Odinga who will go head-to-head with Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Yousouff (MAY) and Madagascar’s Richard J Randriamandrato.

On December 13, 2024, the three faced off in a debate ahead of the election, where they laid out their vision for Africa if elected.

Raila Odinga

Undoubtedly Kenya’s longest-running opposition leader, Odinga is the founder of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) who gave up the party’s leadership to campaign for the AUC chairmanship seat last year.

He holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Magdeburg Technical School in Germany. He served as a lawmaker representing the Lang’ata Constituency between 1992 to 2013.

Notably, he also served in several ministries including Roads and Energy. His highest rank in Kenya’s Government was as Prime Minister in the grand coalition cabinet between 2008 and 2013.

Backed by his 2022 Presidential election rival, President William Ruto, the former Prime Minister has since travelled across Africa, often accompanied by the President as he seeks votes for the top African seat.

A Pan-Africanist who promises to unite Africa by offering “participatory leadership to ensure delivery on the priorities of the African peoples as envisioned in the African Union Agenda 2063”, Odinga has reportedly charmed 28 African heads of state according to his campaign team chair Elkanah Odembo.

“We still have work to do, especially given that we are determined to get the two-thirds in the first round,” Odembo said recently.

However, only about 19 of these 28 nations mentioned are known to the public. He needs to secure at least 33 votes out of the 55 African nations to achieve the two-thirds threshold.

These include Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Seychelles, Mauritius, Rwanda, Burundi, Algeria, South Sudan, Eritrea, Togo, Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi..

 Mahmoud Ali Yousouff

Yousouff is Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as well as the Government Spokesperson. With a 44-page long Curriculum Vitae outlining his diplomatic experience, he is Odinga’s fiercest competitor in the race.

Before taking the helm of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in 2005, he served as the minister-designate for the same docket for four years. Some of the diplomatic positions he has held include, the plenipotentiary and extraordinary Ambassador of Djibouti to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States.

He holds a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Laval in Canada and is fluent in English, French, Arabic, Afar, and Somali.

His vision for AUC includes promoting a culture of accountability and transparency, defending democratic institutions, and ensuring fair governance.

His popularity has transcended across Africa to Kenya where he has surprisingly garnered a strong social media backing following their dissatisfaction with the government.

However, he first gained significant notoriety when Somalia pulled its candidate out of the running to support him. Days after President Ruto met with Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in Cairo to lobby for Odinga’s chairmanship, he chose to endorse Yousouff instead.

The announcement was made by Djibouti’s foreign ministry and read, “This morning, the minister MAY was received by Egyptian President Al-Sisi, another endorsement of his candidacy.” The statement also revealed that Yousouff was a polyglot who “needs no interpreter to engage with African leaders and partners, unlike other candidates,” a possible jab to Odinga.

A former chairman of the Arab League, Yousouff has the backing of countries like Somalia and Egypt, as well as members of the league who have confirmed their support.

The 22-member league includes other African Nations like; Algeria, Comoros, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia.

Richard J Randriamandrato

Randriamandrato is the former Foreign Affairs Minister for Madagascar, having held the seat briefly in 2022. A diplomat too, he holds a Masters Degree in International Politics from Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Before serving for seven months in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he served in the Economy and Finance docket between 2019 and 2021.

His diplomatic experience includes as the Special Advisor in Charge of International Relations to the President of Madagascar.

He has also garnered years of experience in leadership positions for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) including positions in the United Nations (UN)

These include serving as a Programme Coordinator for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and as the Deputy Resident Representative in charge of Marketing and Strategic Planning for the Population Services International (PSI). Madagascar.

Randriamandrato’s plan for AUC includes promoting peace through mediation and dialogue to ease border tensions in African nations. 

His campaign strategy has involved wooing Central Africa with his latest stop being to four Central African countries including, Chad, where the current AUC Chair hails from.

A delegation led by Madagascar’s Foreign Affairs Minister Rasats Rafaravavitafika also landed in Congo Brazzaville, Central Africa Republic and Cameroon to secure much-needed backing.