Kenya and Djibouti on Monday, July 29, formally presented the candidatures of their respective nationals for the African Union Commission chairperson in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In an announcement by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, Kenya presented the requisite documentation of Raila Odinga, Kenya’s nominee for for the Chairmanship of the AU Commission to the Dean of Eastern Region, Dharmraj Busgeeth, the Ambassador of Mauritius as per the Statutes and Rules of the African Union Commission.
The move officially commences Raila’s AUC bid, in which he will face off of with among others, Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, who has also officially submitted his bid ahead of August 6, 2024 deadline for the submission of applications by candidates interested in succeeding Moussa Faki.
Djibouti Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU Abdi Mahamoud Eybe posted on X, “Official submission of the candidature in the name of the Minister of F.A and Int Coop @ymahmoudali for the post of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission to my Mauritius colleague, Dean of our Region on the 05th/07and to the Legal Counsel of the AUC today 29 July 2024”.
Other potential candidates are Somalia’s former Foreign Minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam, and former Seychelles Vice President Vincent Meriton.
Raila’s priority areas are African integration and infrastructure development, economic transformation of the continent, enhancing intra-African trade, financial independence, gender equity and equality, agricultural transformation, climate action, peace and security and youth empowerment.
He has previously served as African Union Infrastructure envoy, a position he was recommend to by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Given it is the turn of the East African region to produce the next AUC boss, Raila will be seeking to convince African Heads of State and Government that he is the best pick for the job against the Djibouti and Somali candidates, if Fawzia presents her bid by deadline day.
RAILA’S THREAT
Raila’s headache will be the long-serving Djibouti Foreign Minister.
The Djibouti bid is seen as targeting the Francophone and Arab countries.
Since 1977, Djibouti has been a member the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, which has 21 African states as members. Eight others are also French-speaking.
From the region, President William Ruto has secured the support of Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
Djibouti is also a member of the Arab League, that has 10 members from Africa. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti, Mauritania, and Comoros Islands.
While the Eastern region is fronting candidates for the chairmanship in the election, the Northern region, which is entirely Arabic, will front candidates for the deputy chairperson.
In the 2017 election, Amina Mohamed, then Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary who was favourite in the race, lost to to her then counterpart Moussa Faki of Chad. Abdoulaye Bathily of Senegal was also a favourite in the race but was seen as “France’s man”.
