Chad’s foreign minister beats Amina Mohamed

Chad’s Foreign Affairs minister Moussa Faki Mahamat has been elected the new African Union Commission Chairperson (AUC). Guinea’s President Alpha Conde becomes the new chairperson of the African Union.

Kenya’s candidate for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission who is also the Foreign Affairs and Trade Cabinet Secretary Amb Amina Mohamed, who was billed as a favourite in the race, came second in a tightly fought race. It is a major blow for the government of Kenya, led by President Uhuru Kenyatta, which had spent millions of dollars to lobby for Amina.

The new chair was elected by the heads of State and Government from the continent. President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Amb Amina Mohamed for AU Commission top post on October 3, 2016 and her nomination was widely welcomed by the countries of the Eastern Africa and COMESA region, who formally endorsed candidature.

President Kenyatta believed that as Africans, “we are stronger united, principle upon which the African Union itself was founded by our fore fathers, and the primary reason why an effective African Union is beneficial to all African countries, Kenya included.”

[crp]