Raila Odinga, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and Richard Randriamandrato Compete for AU Leadership
The African Union Commission (AUC) as candidates Raila Odinga (Kenya), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) and Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar) put forward their visions in a historic debate at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Competition for leadership is intensifying. Odinga stressed Africa’s need for two permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, intra-African trade and self-reliance in peace finance. Yusuf pledged to strengthen peace and security in Africa by reducing dependence on foreign powers. He also vowed to promote unity across cultural divides. Landria Mandelato, meanwhile, is focused on unlocking Africa’s economic potential through trade liberalization and strengthening the capabilities of regional economic blocs. Analysts see Yusuf and Odinga as the front-runners, with Yusuf’s multilingualism and cultural consistency being major advantages. However, the lack of female candidates has drawn criticism, highlighting the need for the AU to prioritize gender representation in leadership. The winner must obtain a two-thirds majority of the AU’s 55 member states, making the regional alliance crucial.
source: data warehouse
